


Home (It's You)

by sunniskies



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Louis Tomlinson, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor angst but 90 percent fluff, Mutual Pining, No Smut, Omega Harry, POV Alternating, Protective Louis, Teacher Harry, harry is louis' baby, past emotional abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:28:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24332092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunniskies/pseuds/sunniskies
Summary: When Louis left his high-powered life in the city to settle down in the suburbs, he had hoped to one day fall in love and start a family. He certainly didn’t expect to meet the omega of his dreams within five minutes of moving in.He also didn’t expect the love of his life to hate him so much.Or, Louis and Harry are neighbors who can't seem to get along...until they fall in love.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 42
Kudos: 482
Collections: 1D A/B/O Fic Fest





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to pocketsunshineharry for running this great fest! ♡
> 
> My prompt was: Person A is pretty sure their neighbor is the love of their life/ their omega. Problem is... they are also pretty sure that omega hates them. 
> 
> Also a huge thank you to my beta, [Great Pemberly](https://greatpemberly.tumblr.com/) for all her amazing help with this fic. I couldn't have done it without you!! ♡
> 
> CW: Discussion of past emotional/psychological abuse in a previous relationship.

♡♡♡

“Would you stop that?” 

Louis snapped out of his daydreams, startled. He hadn’t even realized he’d been compulsively cracking his knuckles for the last few minutes. He’d been lost in thought, watching the trees and suburban houses zoom past the car window. 

“Sorry, Z,” he apologized, settling his hands in his lap. He couldn’t stop his leg from starting to bounce, though. 

Zayn, who was driving, shifted his eyes away from the road momentarily and gave Louis one of his familiar deadpan looks. “Can’t you sit still for five minutes?” 

Louis rolled his eyes and fidgeted with his hair. “I hate long car rides, you know this,” he complained. “I’m a free spirit.” 

“You’re something,” Zayn grumbled, but there was a slight smirk on his face anyway. 

Louis let his attention wander again, refocusing on the scenery around them. It wasn’t just the two hour long drive out of New York City that was making him agitated, although it certainly wasn’t helping. His head was also buzzing with unanswered questions about what this move meant for him, what the next chapter of his life would be. 

It hadn’t been an easy decision to leave the city. He’d built a good life for himself there, a career and a strong group of friends, including his best mate Zayn. But his life there had also grown stale and unfulling. He was tired of the late nights spent at bars that he could hardly remember the next day, sleeping with omega after omega but never developing anything real. Even though all his friends told him that 33 was still plenty young, Louis had made the decision that he wanted to settle down and get serious about the one thing he’s always wanted: starting a family of his own.

He’d bought a house in the quiet New York suburb of Park Hill, probably with a little less forethought than was wise, but Louis didn’t believe in taking forever to make decisions. Life was too short for that. 

Even so, he couldn’t help wondering, if after all his years in the city the simple life would really be enough for him. 

The nagging worry at the back of his mind was: would he really find someone to settle down with? Was Louis Tomlison, infamous alpha known for flitting from omega to omega, able to make something work with someone – for real? 

“I can hear you overthinking,” Zayn drawled from the driver’s seat, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “What’s bugging you?” 

“Nothing,” Louis answered immediately, then sighed. “I dunno. Do you think this is a mistake?” 

“It’s a little late to be asking that now after you’ve sold your loft and bought a house, don’t you think?” Zayn smirked, and Louis punched him lightly on the arm in retaliation. 

“I’m serious, Z! Maybe I’ve just made the worst decision of my adult life. Who believes in happily ever after anyway?” 

Zayn was silent for a moment, watching the road, then answered quietly but firmly. “You do, Lou. You believe in happily ever after. And I think you’re gonna find it, too.” 

“I’m an idiot,” Louis moaned, maybe a _tad_ dramatically, messing with his fringe again. “A complete idiot.” 

“Well, I never said you weren’t an idiot,” Zayn chuckled, and Louis rolled his eyes. 

However, Louis felt a wave of relief flood over him when Zayn pulled the car up to a two story, colonial style house with blue shutters. Suddenly he remembered why he bought this house in the first place. He could already picture a garden, maybe a swing out front. Kids. A family. His spirits rose at the thought.

The moving truck was already parked out front at the curb, having left before them. Louis popped out of the car happily and took a deep breath. The air already felt fresher now that they were finally out of the city. 

Zayn, Louis, and the beefy alphas from the moving company started hauling Louis’ not-negligible amount of belongings into the house. It wasn’t exactly the most enjoyable work, but Louis felt his mood lift as his furniture started filling out the sparse house, making it feel more like a home. 

He was outside, taking a swig from a water bottle and contemplating what he should carry next, when he heard a deep voice over his left shoulder. 

“You must be my new neighbor.” 

Louis turned, and then – a sudden, unexpected burst of _something_ zipped through his veins. Standing in front of him was the most beautiful man he’d ever seen. He had chocolate brown hair falling down to his shoulder in loose curls, full pink lips, and striking green eyes. He was tall, taller than Louis, built, and absolutely gorgeous. He smiled, and the most endearing set of dimples dented his cheeks. 

Louis stood breathless for one moment as he took the stranger in. Louis had met a lot of beautiful people in his life, but being rendered speechless was certainly new. But then he snapped out of his reverie and gave himself a mental shake. 

“Guilty as charged,” he grinned, then walked over and extended a hand. “I’m Louis.” 

The other man’s hand was large and amazingly soft when Louis took it into his own to shake. He thought he saw a glimpse of purple polish on his nails, but didn’t get a chance to look further. Another strange current of energy coursed through Louis when they touched, and he suppressed a shiver. 

“Harry,” the man replied, dimples still showing. If he had felt anything strange when they touched, he didn’t show it. He reached into the canvas tote bag hanging off his shoulder. “I, um, made brownies? If you like that sort of thing?” 

“Who doesn’t like brownies?” Louis gasped in mock horror.

Harry giggled softly, and as he shifted to hand the tupperware container of brownies over, his scent caught the wind. Louis’ stomach did a somersault. The flowery, sweet scent was unmistakably an omega one. Harry was an omega. He tried not to read too much into it, although his heart was pounding. 

Louis accepted the container with a smile. “Seriously, this is amazing. Thank you. The only thing my neighbors in the city ever gave me were midnight screaming matches.” 

Harry chuckled and blushed a little, shuffling his feet, which had the effect of making Louis feel like he needed to tuck him under his arm despite Harry being larger than him. 

“Oh, no problem, I like to bake, so...” Harry waved a hand, trailing off. “Do you need a hand with moving anything?” 

“Oh no don’t worry about it, the alphas have it handled,” Louis joked, then cursed internally when the grin dropped right off Harry’s face. 

“Omegas can carry things too. We’re not helpless.” Harry glared at Louis, an angry flush rising in his cheeks. “This isn’t the 1950s any more.” 

“No! No, of course not,” Louis cringed, shaking his head so fast he nearly got whiplash. “I just meant, like…we don’t need any help?” he fumbled, wondering how the conversation had taken such a wrong turn so fast. 

“Hmph,” Harry crossed his arms and looked thoroughly nonplussed. Louis almost expected him to grab the box of brownies back. “Well, I have to go. Nice to meet you,” he said, in a tone that suggested anything but that. He didn’t wait for a reply, instead he spun on his heels and marched back over to the house across the way, dimples nowhere to be found. 

_Perfect._ Somehow, Louis had managed to offend the most beautiful omega he’d ever met within mere minutes of moving into his new neighborhood. Things were off to a _great_ start. 

♡♡♡

Harry couldn’t get Louis off his mind. It was really quite frustrating, because Harry had sworn he would never let his thoughts be dominated by an alpha. But no matter how hard he tried to distract himself with lesson plans or cleaning the house or cooking, his mind kept drifting back to the slight, yet powerful-looking alpha next door. And back to that zing of _something_ that Harry had felt when they touched. 

“Niallll,” Harry moaned into his phone one morning, flopping down lengthwise across his bed. “I need to move, help me.” 

Niall cackled on the other end of the line and Harry smiled at the familiarity of it. “I mean, you know I’ll hide the body, just tell me when and where, but care to elaborate?”

“My new neighbor is awful. And an alpha. An awful alpha...heyyy alliteration!” Harry grinned to himself. 

Niall chuckled again. “And why is he awful?” he coaxed patiently. 

“Because.” Harry said petulantly, then groaned when Niall just let the line hang silent for a few moments. “Fine, he’s...I dunno, like, cute? Handsome. Cute and handsome, maybe. But then he said he didn’t need my help because I’m an _omega_ , and honestly, Niall, I am so done with self-righteous alphas. And if he thinks that just because he’s good looking and I’m an omega, that I’m just gonna fall at his feet, then he’s got another thing coming.” 

Harry let out a long breath at the end of his rant. “Well?” he demanded when Niall didn’t say anything. “Please tell me you hate him now too.” 

“I think…” Niall started, then paused, clearly choosing his words carefully. “I think this has nothing to do with your neighbor and everything to do with Adrian.” 

“I knew you would say that,” Harry complained. 

“‘Cause it’s true, Harry.” 

“You’re a terrible best friend. I want a new one.” 

Niall laughed. “Just tellin’ it like it is, Haz.” 

Harry contemplated Niall’s words for a moment, pinching his bottom lip between his fingers. “I’m over Adrian. Okay, I’m _mostly_ over Adrian,” he added, when Niall gave a derisive snort. “It’s just that I really don’t want to get all wrapped up in another alpha again? And I’ve already decided I’m only hanging out with betas from now on, you know this, Niall.” 

“And fellow omegas,” Niall pointed out, a little defensively. 

“Well obviously I don’t mind _omegas,_ Niall,” Harry rolled his eyes at the ceiling. “I’m just done with alphas. Better off without them.” 

“I mean, alphas can be total assholes, don’t get me wrong. But don’t you think it’s a little unfair to rule them _all_ out, Harry? There’s got to be a few good ones out there - look at Liam!” 

Harry snorted loudly. “Liam is basically a beta, c’mon. I asked him to kill a spider for me the other day and he just made a sad face and said, ‘shouldn’t we let it live?’” 

“Ok, bad example,” Niall laughed. “Li’s a giant teddy bear. But you know what I mean. ‘Don't judge a book by its cover’ and all that?” 

“Nope,” Harry shook his head. “I’m done with alphas and there’s no convincing me otherwise. You might as well give up now.” 

“I’m definitely too wise to fight you on this,” Niall chuckled. “Fine, you can go on hating your poor neighbor, then.” 

“Thank youuu,” Harry sing-songed. “I knew you would see the light.” 

The two of them chatted for a little while longer, then Niall begged off, citing his need to caffeinate before he headed into work. 

Thankfully, it was a three-day weekend for the elementary schools so Harry had the day off. He loved his kindergartners, but he was also dying to have a day to catch up on stuff around the house and hopefully get some yoga in. His shoulders were feeling ridiculously tight lately. 

It was one of those nice, sunny mornings that made it feel like spring really could be just around the corner. After a long New York winter, Harry was more than ready for the weather to change. He decided to take advantage of the sunshine and do some yoga out on the back deck, so he changed into a pair of leggings and an oversized tee, and slipped on a thin pink headband to keep his curls out of his eyes. 

The morning air was fresh, a little cool, but Harry knew he would warm up after a few sun salutations. He laid out his bright purple yoga mat on the deck, positioning himself in child’s pose to start for some deep breathing. 

He was _just_ starting to feel the kinks release from his spine in cat-cow pose, when a biting voice cut through the pleasant silence. 

“No I absolutely cannot get a college-educated software engineer for less than 90k, Chuck!” 

Harry groaned to himself. There was only one person that English voice could belong to. Harry straightened and peered over at the house next to his. Sure enough, Louis was pacing on his back deck, shouting into a cell phone. 

“Just because I’m your top recruiter doesn’t make me a fucking magician!” Louis boomed, clearly completely unaware it wasn’t just whoever was on the line who was getting an earful, but also Harry. “You want the best and I’ll get you the best, but you have to do _your_ part and get me the right budget.” 

In another time, perhaps Harry would have found that authoritative, confident alpha tone attractive. Now, he just found it annoying. This was his _one_ day off to get some yoga in, he had to deal with overactive six-year olds the rest of the week. He loved his job but still, he deserved some peace.

Taking a deep breath, Harry squared his shoulders and marched over across the grass that separated his and Louis’ house, trying to look much more confident than he felt. He was a strong, independent omega who would not be intimidated by any alpha. Right. 

He came over to stand at the base of the steps leading to Louis’ deck and cleared his throat loudly. Louis, for his part, jumped a bit and spun around. His eyes widened when he saw Harry. 

“Chuck, I gotta go. Figure this out and get back to me, yeah?” Louis ended his call hastily and waved at Harry. “Hey, Harry! How are you?” 

Harry refused to be charmed by Louis' sunny grin or friendly greeting, although his stomach did swoop despite himself. He crossed his arms and tried his best to look stern. “Louis,” he nodded in greeting.

Louis cheerfully hopped down the steps to him, clearly undeterred by Harry’s icy tone. “Hey, I just wanted to apologize for the other day. Sometimes – well, all the time, really – my mouth works faster than my brain. I’m really not one of those macho alpha types, promise. I say shit I don’t mean all the time. Can we, like, have a do over?” 

He really did look apologetic, and Harry felt his heart soften slightly. Maybe he judged him a little too fast. But then he remembered Adrian, and how he was always apologizing to Harry and how Harry forgave him over and over. He wouldn’t let himself be walked all over like that again. 

Harry just sighed. “It’s fine. But can you, like, keep it down? I was trying to do yoga,” he said pointedly, nodding over to his own deck. “Pretty sure the whole neighborhood can hear you.” 

“Oh, fuck,” Louis swore, running a hand through his hair. “I’m so, so sorry. Oh my god I didn’t even realize anyone was out here.” 

“Clearly,” Harry said dryly.

Louis cringed. “I guess this isn’t exactly helping my case, is it.” 

“Not exactly,” Harry agreed, but he wasn’t anti-alpha enough to ignore the distressed look on Louis’ face. “Look, I don’t hate you ok? All I want is for us to coexist in peace.” 

A strange look crossed Louis’ face at that. If Harry didn’t know better, he would have said he looked almost...disappointed? But Harry shook the thought out of his mind. 

“Coexist. Right, yeah. I’ll take the rest of my calls inside,” Louis promised. “So you can get back to your morning yoga in peace.” 

“Thank you,” Harry smiled tentatively. “I hope you figure out...whatever it is you were yelling about?” 

Louis let out a laugh. It was a high, merry sound, and it made a warm sort of feeling bubble in Harry’s chest. “Oh don’t worry about that, love. Typical day at work for me.” 

Harry’s stomach did a little drop. _Love_ . But Louis was British, he probably called people that all the time. He tried to remind himself he was supposed to _not_ like Louis. 

He and Louis said goodbye and Harry settled back onto his yoga mat, pushing up into downward dog. No matter how great his smile was, Louis was still an alpha, and Harry did not need any more alphas in his life. 

♡♡♡

Louis was not exactly pleased with himself. 

Somehow, within days of moving into his new house and meeting who could’ve been the omega of his dreams, he managed to make said omega think he’s a total arsehole and want nothing to do with him. _Smooth, Louis._

Louis groaned at the thought of his last interaction with Harry and kicked a swift goal into the football net in his backyard, letting loose his frustration.

His new life in Park Hill was definitely not going as he had expected. Sure, the transition to being fully remote with his work had been easy, and the once too big house was finally starting to feel like home, but his new suburban life just made him feel the pain even more of everything he wanted but didn’t have.

And Harry...well, Harry was breathtaking. Louis couldn’t stop thinking about how it had felt when they met. He had never felt that instant connection with _anyone_ before, omega or otherwise. But then he had to go and fuck it all up with his big mouth as usual. Typical. 

Louis took out his annoyance on his makeshift backyard football pitch until he was sweaty and his limbs felt loose and heavy. He retreated back inside, downing a bottle of water and hopping in a hot shower. _Maybe some things just aren’t meant to be_ , he thought idly. 

Zayn came over later with two pizzas and the two of them sprawled out on Louis’ giant couch, picking up a game of Mario Kart. 

“So is it everything you dreamed of?” Zayn asked after they threw the controllers aside and leaned back into the couch, both of them sipping on beers. 

“What?” Louis asked. “Kicking your arse in Mario Kart? Always.” 

Zayn snorted and took a swig of his beer. “Nah, y’know, your new life and all. Is it everything you wanted? 

“Oh,” Louis felt his buoyant mood drop a bit, and he shoved a handful of M&Ms in his mouth, chewing. “I dunno.” 

“Don’t sound so excited,” Zayn smirked, then nudged Louis’ leg with his own when he didn’t reply. “What’s up bro?” 

Louis drew out a long sigh. “Just this omega. Remember that guy who was here when we were moving in? Well he’s my neighbor, and he’s perfect, and...he also hates me.” 

“Ah,” Zayn said, then looked at Louis thoughtfully. “And? What aren’t you telling me?” 

“You’re the worst,” Louis complained, rolling his eyes. He took another long drink of his beer. “And nothing, that’s it.” 

Zayn just raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Ugh, fine! You know I don’t believe in all that soulmates crap that our grandmums like to go on about, right? Total bollocks.” Louis fidgeted, fixing his hair. Suddenly, this whole conversation was making him very nervous. “But...when I met Harry, there was...something? I dunno Zayn, I can’t explain it, but I feel like, well, what if he’s like, _the one_ , y’know?” Louis blew out a long breath. He definitely needed to be more buzzed to have this conversation. 

“Wow,” Zayn said after a moment. “That’s...new.” He thought over what Louis said, then asked, “So, you think he could be your soulmate?” 

“No!” Louis rushed, immediately. “Of course not. Who believes in that soulmate stuff anymore? Maybe it was nothing. Probably was nothing, honestly.” 

“And if it’s not nothing?” 

Louis drained the rest of his beer, and let his head fall back against the couch cushions. He stared up at the ceiling as though it would give him answers. 

“Then I am royally fucked,” he answered, honestly. 

♡♡♡ 

Harry did his best to put Louis out of his mind over the next few days. His kindergarten class was starting a new unit on Antarctica, so he was reasonably occupied with researching penguin facts and cutting out polar bear shapes for his bulletin board. 

He had to admit there was something about Louis that stayed under his skin, something that kept his thoughts drifting back to him when he was not busy with work or friends. 

But everytime Harry found himself thinking a little too longingly about Louis’ caramel brown hair or clear blue eyes, he reminded himself how he felt about alphas, and why. Harry had a big heart and trusted too easily, he knew that, and that was why he had to keep his distance.

His life in Park Hill was good. He had a job he loved, a great group of friends, and a beautiful house. For the first time in many years, he felt secure, happy. Confident in who he was. He really didn’t need any alpha coming into his life and turning everything upside down. 

The following Saturday, Harry decided to keep himself busy by doing some needed repairs around the house. One of the back gutters on the house was coming loose, so he grabbed the stepladder and small toolkit he had purchased when he moved in. As he set up the ladder on the back deck, his heart clenched a little with memories. Adrian used to do things like this around the house. He always said it was the “alpha’s duty” to take care of household repairs. Harry didn’t miss that chauvinistic attitude, but he did miss the company. 

He shook the thoughts from his mind and carefully climbed up a few steps on the ladder, leaning over to tighten the gutter attachments with a screwdriver. 

Harry wasn’t exactly exactly the most graceful person in the world, so he didn’t notice how far he was leaning over until the ladder gave a precarious wobble and for one heart-stopping moment he thought he might fall. 

But then just as suddenly a pair of firm, steadying hands came to his hips, keeping him in place. “Woah, careful there.” 

Harry twisted around to see Louis standing at the base of the ladder, reaching up with his hands on Harry’s hips. 

“Oh...thanks,” Harry blushed, climbing down to meet Louis. Louis kept a hand on Harry’s back until he was on the ground again. “‘M a bit clumsy, sometimes.” 

Louis’ eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. “I can see that.” 

Harry busied himself putting his screwdriver back in the toolbox, really just giving himself time to recover from the fluttering, flustered feeling that had risen in his chest from Louis touching him. 

“So what are you up to today, besides saving me from breaking my neck?” Harry asked, leaning back against the ladder casually. That proved to be a mistake when the ladder shifted under his weight. Harry stumbled, and Louis reached out to steady him again. 

“Apparently you need it,” Louis chuckled, dropping his hand from Harry’s waist once he was balanced. “Alright?” 

“I’m fine,” Harry flushed again. _Get it together, Styles._ He tried to gather his jumbled thoughts. Louis had come at the just the right time. A little too fast, actually. 

“Wait, were you spying on me?” Harry frowned. 

It was Louis’ turn to redden. “No, of course not! Erm, I was just working outside, and I saw you get out the ladder, and I was coming over to ask if you needed any help, when you looked like you were about to fall to your death, so...” 

“Ah. Well, thanks,” Harry nodded, drawing a hand through his hair. He hadn’t washed it today and he was dressed in his rattiest pair of jean shorts and a band tee with holes in it. Suddenly he wished he had thought to put on something nicer before coming outside. _Not that you care about impressing Louis_ , Harry reminded himself. 

“So, do you need any help, then?” Louis raised an eyebrow, gesturing at the ladder. “I know my way around a toolkit, if I do say so meself.” 

“Why would I need help?” Harry narrowed his eyes, metaphorical hackles raising. “Because I’m an omega?” 

The grin slid off Louis’ face. “No! I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just offering help as your neighbor. Why are you so defensive all the time, Harry?” 

“Maybe I have to be,” Harry crossed his arms over his chest. _You have no idea_. “Maybe it’s not easy for me to trust alphas.” 

Louis sighed in and threw up his hands in exasperation. “So you don’t like me just because I’m an alpha? Really progressive of you, cheers,” he said sarcastically. 

“I don’t need your ‘help’ and I don’t need you watching out for me!” Harry exclaimed. He could feel his face heating with anger. “Actually, I don’t need you in my life at all, if you hadn’t noticed!” 

“Well excuse me for moving next door, then,” Louis rolled his eyes, huffing. “I’m _so_ sorry that I’m an alpha and that I tried to be nice. My mistake, won’t happen again.” 

“Oh get over yourself!” Harry gritted his teeth. “Just like every other alpha I’ve met, you have a white knight in shining armor complex and expect any omega you want to fall desperately at your feet, begging for your attention.” 

“Then you’ve met some shitty alphas, Harry,” Louis glared at him, cheeks flushed. “But I’m not one of them and I don’t need to be told I am, not by you or anyone else.” 

“Well if you hadn’t noticed, _you’re_ the one standing on _my_ property.” 

“You’re right,” Louis snapped. “There’s no reason for me to be here, is there? _Lovely_ talking with you Harry. Goodbye.” Louis bit out, and stomped off toward his house without a second look back. 

Harry stormed inside his own house and sprawled on to the couch with a groan. His blood was pumping hot and angry through his body, and he was still vibrating with it. God, Louis pushed all of his buttons in all of the wrong ways. While he wasn’t glad they’d fought, at least it probably meant Louis would stop bothering him. 

_Is Louis really_ that _bad, though?_ A quiet voice asked in his head, but Harry stubbornly ignored it. Maybe Louis couldn’t understand why Harry didn’t want any alphas in his life, that was fine. Louis probably had never been made to feel like he was worthless, like he had no capacity to do anything on his own. He’d never been manipulated, broken down, had his trust used against him. He’d never gone to bed crying and woken up crying the morning after, because his life was so miserable and he couldn’t see the way out. 

Harry had. And he wasn’t ever going to do it again. If that meant Louis hated him, then so be it. Harry was just fine with the way his life was without Louis in it. 

He just wished it felt true.


	2. Chapter 2

Work kept Louis busy over the next few weeks, so thankfully he didn’t have too much time to stew over his last conversation – okay, fight – with Harry. The omega clearly had some serious history with alphas, and Louis tried to reason with himself that it was all for the best. It had just been a fantasy, really, imagining that Harry was his soulmate. Stuff like that didn’t happen in the real world. 

No, what  _ did  _ happen in the real world was running out of Yorkshire tea bags and beer, two items Louis was not willing to live without. So on Wednesday he ended work early so he could venture to the local grocery store for some much needed essentials. 

It was a dull, dreary sort of day, and Louis felt it matched his equally dull mood perfectly. Everything felt so lackluster lately, like the world was painted in shades of gray. It was just the weekday blues, though, it had nothing to do with the fact that he hadn’t seen head nor tail of Harry since their fight.  _ You’re not hung up on some omega you barely know, _ he tried to convince himself. 

Louis was just hauling his two canvas sacks of groceries up the driveway when he spotted the exact person he’d been trying not to think of. Harry was standing on the curb outside his house, dressed in coordinated black-and-pink jogging leggings and top ( _ not cute _ , Louis reminded himself), talking to some man that Louis had never seen before. 

He fully intended to go in and put his groceries away, still fuming over their last confrontation, but something made him hesitate. At first he wasn’t sure where the odd, sudden sense of unease came from, but after a moment of observing the pair, he realized that Harry was sort of cowering, in a weird, defensive way that immediately set Louis on edge. 

Despite his better judgement and his decision to not think about Harry, Louis set his bags down next to his car, and headed over to Harry and the stranger. 

As Louis walked up, his nose picked up a strong, compelling scent, and he immediately knew what was going on. That tantalizing smell was unmistakable. Harry was in, or at least close to, his heat. And as Louis picked up the domineering alpha scent coming from the stranger bearing down on Harry, a surge of protectiveness rose in his gut. 

“...pretty little thing like you needs company,” Louis heard the man saying as he walked up, and Louis bit back an immediate growl. Harry caught Louis’ eye, and relief on his face was clear. 

“What’s going on here, then?” Louis asked, straightening to his full height and raising a warning eyebrow at the alpha. “I think you better move along, mate.” 

“Don’t see your bond mark on him,” the alpha retorted, a snarl in his voice. “I think we’re just fine, thanks.” 

Louis did growl at that, and moved next to Harry so he could place a protective hand on his back. Harry melted into the touch easily, and Louis pulled him closer into his side. 

“You’re not touching him,” Louis said firmly, using the full power of his alpha voice for the first time in ages. He could feel Harry shift under his touch, but he kept his eyes focused on the alpha for the moment. “And you’re leaving. Now,” he ordered, not breaking eye contact. 

The alpha leered over Louis, not backing down. “And what, you’re gonna make me?” He looked Louis up and down. “Tiny little wanna-be alpha like you?” 

Louis didn’t take the bait. He could feel Harry shudder a little next to him, and he immediately started to rub circles on his back, hoping to communicate without words,  _ It’s ok, I’ve got this.  _

“You don’t scare me,” Louis said cooly, still using his alpha voice. “And I’m not letting you get one inch closer to him, so you can snarl all you want, but you’re not laying a  _ finger _ on him, I promise you that.” 

The alpha growled and Louis just growled back, standing his ground. It had been a while since he had to stand up to another alpha like this, but he suddenly felt he would do anything it took to protect the omega tucked against his side. 

“Fine,” the alpha said after a few moments of tense silence. Louis didn’t break eye contact once. “I’ve got better things to do then chase after slutty omegas anyway. Some alpha you are, not even claiming what you want.” 

Louis let the remarks slide off him without responding, and just stared the alpha down until he finally gave a last growl and headed off back down the street. Louis immediately deflated, sighing in relief. He hadn’t even realized how tense he had been, not so much about having to face down the alpha, but at Harry’s safety. 

He focused his attention on Harry, tipping his face toward his with a gentle finger at his jaw so he could get a good look at him. “Are you okay, love? I’m so sorry about all that,” he said gently, rubbing a hand over Harry’s hip. “You must have been terrified.” 

Harry gazed at him for a moment, his pupils blown wide. Then he nodded shakily, “I’m ok, Alpha,” he said in a dreamy, breathy voice, smiling dopily at Louis as though he had hung the moon.

Louis frowned at him for a moment, not sure why Harry was acting so strangely. He was just about to ask him if he was feeling okay, when everything clicked into place. The confrontation, Louis’ alpha voice, Harry’s heat. Louis had used his alpha voice and with Harry so close to his heat, it must have triggered him to go into omega space. 

Normally omegas would usually only drop when they were with their bondmate, but it could happen on other rare occasions. Louis didn’t know Harry well enough to know if this was normal for him or not. He did know, however, that Harry was very vulnerable as long as he was in omega space. Louis tightened his grip on him. 

“You’re safe now, and everything’s alright, okay darling?” he soothed, the endearment slipping out instinctively. “That alpha will never bother you again, I’ll make sure of it.” Louis kept his eyes on Harry until he nodded his understanding, with wide trusting eyes. 

“Good, love, you’re doing great,” Louis affirmed, reaching up to tuck a stray curl behind Harry’s ear, who leaned into the touch. “Now you’re about to go into your heat, yeah? Do you have anyone you can call to come look after you?” He wanted to ask if Harry had enough food and water stocked up as well, but he kept it simple, knowing too many questions would overwhelm Harry right now. 

Harry looked confused for a moment, then nodded. “I usually call Niall? He makes sure I stay hydrated and eat enough during my heats.” Harry’s voice was even slower and deeper than usual, which was saying something. He was so innocent and vulnerable like this, and Louis felt that fierce protectiveness rise in him again. 

“Okay,” Louis murmured. “Let’s get you all settled inside and then you can call this Niall, alright love?” He started leading Harry up the lawn toward the house with a gentle yet insistent hand on the small of his back. 

Harry complied easily, letting Louis steer him toward his front door, and then unlock it for him when Harry handed him his keys. 

Harry’s house was just about as lovely as Louis would have expected it to be, small yet full of homey touches and eclectic patterns and colors. There was a soft looking couch in the sitting room and Louis guided Harry to sit down at it, then joined him. 

“Can you call your friend now, Harry?” Louis asked softly, then stroked Harry’s hair when he made a distressed noise, clearly too far in omega space to make solid decisions right now. “Shh, it’s ok darling, you’re fine,” he soothed, petting Harry’s hair until he relaxed into the touch. “I’ll call him for you, can I have your phone love?” 

Harry slipped his phone from the pocket on his leggings, and after some slight prodding from Louis, unlocked it and handed it over. Louis found the contact labeled “Niall” easily in favorites, and hit the call button. He bit his lip as the line rang, knowing that from the outside perspective, this situation could look very bad. 

“What’s up Haz?” a cheery voice answered. 

“Hi, uh this is Harry’s neighbor, Louis,” Louis replied. “Listen, Harry’s in a bit of a situation and he said that you were someone he could trust to look after him. You’re Niall, right?” 

“Yeah, shit, is he ok?” Niall swore, sounding slightly panicked. “Is he hurt?” 

“No, no he’s physically fine,” Louis rushed to explain. “He’s starting his heat, and some arsehole alpha was harassing him, so I stepped in to help. But I used my alpha voice in the process and now Harry’s dropped into omega space. It was a total accident, I swear. But I don’t feel comfortable leaving him alone like this...I was hoping you could come by and stay with him?”

“‘Course I will,” Niall said immediately, and Louis felt a slight wave of relief. “I’ll be right over, I’m about fifteen minutes away. Just keep an eye on him until then?”

“Of course,” Louis promised. He couldn’t even imagine leaving Harry alone when he was so vulnerable like this. Niall said a quick goodbye and hung up, promising to make it over as soon as possible. 

Louis turned his attention back to Harry. “How’re you doing, love?” he murmured, rubbing a hand over Harry’s arm soothingly. “You alright?”

“Yes, Alpha,” Harry answered obediently, looking at Louis with heartbreakingly innocent eyes. Louis couldn’t help the shiver of arousal he felt course through his body at Harry being so compliant to him, at the deliciously sweet scent of his heat that was filling the air...

He pushed himself away from Harry abruptly and stood, taking a few steadying breaths. He had almost lost control, and he never  _ ever  _ wanted to be the sort of alpha who took advantage of an omega in their heat. Just the thought made him sick. 

“I’m going to make some tea, Harry,” Louis announced, and Harry whined sadly, but Louis forced himself to ignore it. “I know love, but I’ll be right back. Just stay here.” He wrapped Harry in the fluffy blanket that was on the couch, and before he could think too much about it, pressed a quick kiss to the top of Harry’s head. Then he hurried off to the kitchen to take a few moments to collect himself. 

By the time he’d heated the kettle and found Harry’s unsurprisingly large tea stash, Louis felt considerably more level-headed. He made a cup of chamomile for Harry, figuring it would be soothing, and brought it back out to the sitting room. 

Thankfully, Harry seemed a little more lucid, accepting the tea with a quiet thanks and burrowing further into his blanket. He still had a dazed, hazy sort of look over him, though, and Louis knew he would probably be pretty suggestable to anything someone said right now. Louis frowned at the thought, reaching over to pull the blanket tighter around Harry’s shoulders and urging him to drink his tea. 

Louis jumped when there was a loud knock at the door a little while later. He had somehow ended up with Harry tucked under his arm with his head pillowed against Louis’ jumper, both of them quiet as Louis let Harry drift back from his omega space. He hadn’t even realized he’d been dozing off slightly, warm and comfortable, until the knock came. 

He left Harry wrapped in his blanket on the couch and unlocked the front door, greeted by an omega with bleach blond hair.

“Niall,” the blond introduced himself as he came in, kicking off his sneakers in the front doorway. “Thanks so much for calling me and looking out for him.” 

“No problem,” Louis assured, leading Niall over to Harry, who immediately lit up with delight. 

“Niall!” Harry exclaimed, a wide smile breaking out on his face, dimples appearing. Louis felt a familiar swooping sensation in his stomach. God, something about the way Harry smiled, so open and happy, was almost blinding. 

“Hey, you,” Niall said, tone gentle. “How you doing, Haz?” 

“I’m happy,” Harry replied easily. The dreamlike haze from before was lifting as he came out of omega space, now he seemed more cheerful, almost childlike. “Louis is the best, he’s been taking care of me.” He looked over at Louis with a happy smile, and Louis felt his cheeks redden. 

“Good, babe,” Niall affirmed. “I’m going to get some things ready for you, just stay here Haz.” 

Louis, who had been standing awkwardly in the corner, unsure if he should stay or go, nodded at Niall. “Looks like he’s in good hands. I’ll be off, then.” 

Niall came over to him and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Thanks again, man. Glad to see there are still some good alphas left in the world.” 

“Yeah,” Louis muttered darkly, still agitated at the thought of that arsehole alpha who thought he could take advantage of Harry. “That alpha was way out of line, glad I was around.” 

Niall nodded in agreement, then glanced at Harry and back to Louis, looking thoughtful. 

“What?” Louis asked. 

“Nothing. It’s just...” Niall hesitated. “I haven’t seen Harry drop into omega space in, like, forever. He doesn’t drop easy. His ex used to get mad at him for that – shitty guy. But anyway, it’s just a bit weird that he dropped only at hearing your alpha voice. I wouldn’t have expected that.” 

Louis frowned, glancing over at Harry. “Yeah that is a bit weird. I dunno...maybe it’s because he’s close to his heat?” 

“Yeah, maybe.” Niall didn’t sound convinced. “Well anyway, I should probably get him some food and stuff before he’s really out of it.” 

“Sure,” Louis agreed, forcing himself to tear his eyes away from Harry and head toward the door. For some reason he felt it hard to go – that strong, protective feeling still coursing through his veins.  _ Probably my inner alpha reacting to an omega in heat _ , Louis reasoned. 

With a final goodbye to Niall, he finally managed to drag himself out the door and took a deep lungful of the cool air once he was outside. He tried, and failed, not to dwell on Niall’s words. 

Louis’ alpha voice had made Harry drop right away, when other alpha’s didn’t have the same effect. He knew what he  _ wanted _ that to mean, but what was the truth? 

He traipsed back to his house, unanswered questions swirling in his mind. 

♡♡♡

Harry shuffled out of bed the morning after his heat ended, feeling exhausted and weak, but finally like himself again, without the haze of arousal clouding his every thought. 

As usual, Harry’s memory of his heat was vague at best. He knew it had been several days of feverish, insistent arousal, of longing for an alpha to satiate his need, but making do with his toys. Niall stayed over for most of it, giving Harry his privacy but making sure he ate regularly and stayed hydrated. It wasn’t enjoyable for Harry, not like it would be if he had a bondmate to share it with, but it was manageable.

The one thing he did remember clearly, however, was Louis saving him from that nasty alpha. He remembered how Louis’ usual friendly voice had gone deeper and firmer with his alpha dominance, and the confident, aggressive way he had defended Harry. He remembered the warm hand rubbing circles on his back, soothing him, and then the floating, peaceful feeling of dropping to omega space, knowing he was totally and completely safe with Louis there. It was certainly a lot to think about.

In the kitchen made a cup of tea and sliced some up some fruit that Niall had left him. He knew he needed to get his energy back, he’d had four days off work for his heat but he was due back in tomorrow. 

He was munching on some fresh strawberries when his phone buzzed with a text. 

**Niall: Feeling better, H? x**

Harry took a sip of tea and typed out a quick reply. 

_ Much, thank you for staying xx _

**Course. Work tomorrow?**

_ Yeah, I miss the babies already :P  _

**Don’t know how you deal with a roomful of 6 year olds all day. You’re a better man than me ahah**

_ They’re not as hard to manage as you think! Just need lots of patience and kindness _

**Speaking of kind...talked to Louis yet?**

Harry stared at the text for a moment, biting his lip and pondering his answer. 

_ No...should I?  _

**Yes. He’s a good one, H. You didn’t see how he was, he was so worried about you. Give him a chance**

_ Maybe...gtg, toast is ready x  _

**Think about it x**

Harry did think about it. He spent the day puttering around his house, cleaning and doing the laundry that had accumulated during his heat, all the while thinking about what had happened over the past few days, and Niall’s advice. 

He also picked up some fresh groceries to restock the fridge and some ingredients to do some baking. It wasn’t peach season but the ones in the store were reasonably ripe, and so he baked a peach pie in the afternoon, his whole house filling with the delicious, familiar smell of cinnamon and sugar. 

By the time the pie was baked and cooled, Harry had come to a decision. 

He changed into his current favorite shirt (a long sleeve button down, hot pink with white polka dots) and jeans, wrapped the pie up in cellophane and slipped on his chelsea boots. He headed out the door quickly before he could change his mind, resolutely walking the short distance to Louis’ house. 

He hesitated at Louis’ door, courage faltering, but steeled his shoulders and knocked anway. 

Harry bit his lip nervously until the door swung open, revealing Louis in a pair of sweatpants and soft-looking sweatshirt, brown hair tousled in a way that still managed to look absolutely gorgeous. 

“Harry, hey,” Louis’ eyebrows rose in surprise. “Good to see you. Feeling better?” 

“Hi,” Harry blushed a little despite himself. Talking about his heat was always embarrassing, especially with someone he didn’t know all that well. “Yeah, I’m better. Um...I made you a pie?” Harry thrust out the pie tin awkwardly, and Louis’ eyes widened. 

“Seriously? That’s amazing, thank you.” Louis accepted the pie cheerfully. He raised an eyebrow again when Harry just stood in the doorway, shifting a little from foot to food. “Did you want to come in, or…?” 

“Sorry, yes please,” Harry shook his head, refocusing. His brain was still feeling a little foggy and slow, a usual after-effect of his heat. “That would be great.” 

Louis ushered him inside. His hand hovered over Harry’s back, not quite touching, and Harry felt himself yearning for the contact. The inside of Louis’ house was nice, masculine but still inviting. Louis gestured, and Harry took a seat on one of Louis’ dark leather couches, Louis sitting down next to him a respectful distance away. 

Harry laced his fingers together in his lap, staring at his canary yellow nails. After a moment he sighed and looked up, meeting Louis’ startling blue eyes. 

“I owe you an apology,” Harry started, and held up a finger when Louis started to interrupt. 

“No, I really need to say this Louis. I’m sorry I’ve been such a total jerk to you, it was so rude and uncalled for. I hate it when people are prejudiced against me because I’m an omega, and yet I turned around and did the same thing to you just because you’re an alpha. You’ve been nothing but nice to me and after the way you treated me the other day, saving my back like that, I know you’re a wonderful person and you don’t deserve how I’ve been treating you. I’m really sorry.” 

Louis studied him a moment, apparently mulling over his words. “It’s ok, Harry,” he said softly, and his eyes were gentle, not angry. “I understand. It’s easy to make snap judgements about people, hell, I thought my best friend was a total prick until I actually got to know him. I’m glad that you finally see I’m not some knothead alpha, though.” 

Harry nodded earnestly. “I see that now, you couldn’t be further from that!” He picked at his nail polish absently, considering how much he should say. “I had...um, a bad experience? Well, a completely terrible experience, to be honest,” he sighed. “With an alpha. And I think it’s made me, like...a bit wary of other alphas? So that’s why I was such a jerk to you. I’m sorry.” 

A warm, gentle hand fell on his own, stilling his fingers where he’d been anxiously fiddling with his nail polish, and Harry looked up sharply. Louis was reaching out to him, and there was an extremely soft look on his face that almost made tears spring to Harry’s eyes. 

“It’s okay, Harry. You don’t have to keep apologizing,” Louis said gently, rubbing his thumb over Harry’s knuckles a couple times. “I am sorry you had such a shitty experience, though. I’d like to have a word or two with whatever alpha it was who thought he had the right to treat you badly.” The sharp, protective look that Harry remembered from their previous encounter flashed across Louis’ face, and Harry’s stomach dipped pleasantly. Something about that look made him feel so warm, safe. 

“Thank you Louis,” Harry sighed. There was so much more he had wanted to say, but he was suddenly feeling exhausted and muddled, and a bit dizzy, forgetting all that he had rehearsed in his head to say to Louis. 

“Are you alright, love?” Louis frowned at him. He hand stilled from where it had been rubbing Harry’s. “You’re looking pale.” 

Harry nodded, although the motion intensified the dizziness. “I’m ok,” he assured. “Recovering from my heat still, I guess.” 

Before Harry could realize exactly what was happening, Louis reached out and rested the back of his hand on Harry’s cheek. The touch was cool and felt lovely against his skin, and Harry’s eyes fluttered shut involuntarily. 

“You’re a bit warm, Harry,” Louis’ voice was concerned, and it made the swooping sensation return to Harry’s stomach. He brushed a hand over Harry’s curls. “Wait here, a mo’, love.” 

Louis got up from the couch and returned a few beats later with a large glass of ice water. “Here, babe, drink this. You’re probably dehydrated.” 

Harry accepted the glass thankfully, taking a few big gulps of the cool water. It did taste heavenly, and helped settle him. He had spent most of the day cleaning and baking in a hot kitchen, which in hindsight was probably not the best idea considering that he was only a day post-heat. 

Louis watched him, a slight frown still etched into his forehead. Harry tried not to flush at the attention. “I’m okay, really, Louis,” Harry tried to reassure him, taking another sip of the water for emphasis. 

“Mm,” Louis hummed noncommittally. “You need to drink all of that Harry, you look peaky.” 

Harry was slightly embarrassed at all the attention, but he also had to admit it felt nice to have Louis fussing over him a little. It had been a while since he had an alpha care about him like this. 

“I was going to make – well, order – some dinner in a bit. You could stay, if you wanted? You look like you could use a good meal in you and I have Hulu, Netflix, HBO  _ and  _ Prime, so pretty sure we could find something to watch.” Louis offered, gesturing toward the giant TV in the corner. 

Harry laughed. “Wow, that’s a lot of options. Umm...yeah, dinner would be nice? I wouldn’t want to impose or anything…” 

“Not at all!” Louis assured cheerily, popping up from the couch. “I always end up ordering more than I can eat anyway. What sounds good? Thai, Mexican, sandwiches? Or, I know a place that makes a good soup if your stomach’s feeling off.” Harry watched him dig through a drawer and emerge with a stack of takeout menus. 

“Should I be concerned you have so many of those?” Harry raised an eyebrow. 

“Can’t cook to save my life,” Louis admitted with a sheepish grin. “Pretty sure these places keep me alive. But I can make one  _ hell  _ of a cuppa, I will say that.” 

“I love tea,” Harry smiled. “Can’t start my morning without a cup, honestly.” 

“See? We’re friends already,” Louis grinned back at him, and Harry’s heart did a small somersault.  _ Friends, right. _ He and Louis could be friends. He just needed the butterflies in his stomach to get on the same page. 

Eventually they settled on delivery from a cafe nearby whose sandwiches Louis swore by. They ordered a couple of salads and sandwiches to share, and then settled on the couch to pick something to watch. Louis brought Harry another glass of water when he finished the first, making him promise to drink the whole thing as well. 

Harry picked  _ Notting Hill _ to watch, and Louis teased him for it a little bit, but watched it all the same. They munched on sandwiches while they watched, Louis providing colorful movie commentary that kept making Harry laugh so hard he almost spit out his salad. 

It was around 7 by the time the movie wrapped up, but Harry didn’t feel very inclined to leave and Louis seemed to pick up on it. 

“Want to stay for another?” Louis asked with a raised eyebrow, the shimmering light bouncing off the TV making his eyes look even more blue than usual. 

“Sure,” Harry smiled, tucking up his long legs on the couch so he could get more comfortable. 

Louis’ eyes crinkled at the corners. “Here, love, get cozy,” he murmured, and wrapped a nearby blanket around Harry, pulling the corners tight so he was thoroughly cuddled. “Aren’t you cute?” he chuckled, and Harry did his best to scowl at him. 

“I’m not cute,” Harry pouted, and Louis let out a laugh that was as bright as morning sunrise. 

“Sorry, my mistake, love. You’re not cute at all,” Louis smiled, and pressed a quick kiss to the top of Harry’s head. Harry felt warm all over with happiness. Spending time with Louis was nice. Really nice. 

In the end, Harry didn’t remember exactly what the second movie Louis picked was, because he ended up dozing off not long after it started, lulled by the soft warmth of the blanket around him and the familiar presence of Louis lounging on the couch next to him. 

He didn’t wake until there was a gentle hand running through his hair, and he blinked his eyes open sleepily, groggy. 

Louis’ face was inches from him, curled up next to him on the couch. His hair looked so fluffy and soft, and his eyes so blue. Harry could stare at him all day. 

Louis smiled softly at him when Harry made a confused noise, blinking a few times to wake up. “Sorry to wake you,” Louis murmured, still running a hand through Harry’s hair, and Harry resisted the temptation to let his eyes fall shut again. “But it’s nearly 9 and I don’t know if you have work tomorrow, but thought you would want to get off to bed soon. You clearly need a good night’s sleep.” 

Harry groaned and sat up to stretch, feeling his back crack satisfyingly. When he turned around he thought he saw Louis’ eyes flick up from his where his shirt had risen up over his hips. But maybe that was just wishful thinking.

“Thanks, Lou,” Harry ruffled some fingers through his hair, which probably looked a mess. “I should get going, you're right. I have a roomful of kindergartners to face at seven am tomorrow, so I should probably get some sleep.” 

“You teach kindergarten?” An odd look flashed across Louis’ face, but it was gone before Harry could read too much into it. 

“Yeah, is that weird?” 

“No, not at all. It’s sweet, that’s all,” Louis smiled at him, and for some reason he looked a little sad. But Harry was too sleepy to decipher why that might be. “Should I be worried you’re going to try and steal that blanket?” Louis smirked, eyeing the fluffy throw Harry was still ensconced in. 

“I really might,” Harry sighed wistfully as he shrugged out from under it and folded it neatly, placing it on the edge of the couch. “That thing is magical, I swear.” 

Louis laughed. “Well you’re welcome to come wrap yourself in my blanket anytime you need a good nap. Or just...y’know, anytime really.” 

Harry felt warm again, but not from the blanket this time. “We’ll do this again soon, then.” 

“I’d like that,” Louis stood and offered a hand. “But I wouldn’t be a good friend unless I told you to go get some sleep, so up you get.” 

Harry let Louis tug him up from the couch and help him get his coat on. Louis held his elbow to balance him while he tugged on his boots. 

“Goodnight, Harry,” Louis smiled at the door, and for one, irrational moment, Harry thought they might just kiss. 

But no, that was ridiculous. He and Louis were friends, they had just established that. 

Harry said goodnight and wrapped his arms around himself against the cool night air as he walked back to his house. For some reason, he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. 


	3. Chapter 3

A few days later Louis was stretched out in a lounge chair on his back deck, enjoying the early spring sunshine. Life was feeling really good lately, and not just because it was the weekend and he didn’t have any work to do. 

Ever since Harry had come over with that (delicious) peach pie and apologized, things had shifted between them. The animosity and coldness was gone and they discovered that when they weren’t pretending to hate each other, they actually made very good friends. 

Louis took a sip of the strawberry daiquiri he had just made, closing his eyes against the warmth of the sunlight on his face. 

There was a familiar sounding throat-clear and Louis popped his eyes back open. 

“You look very relaxed,” Harry chuckled at him. He was dressed in another one of his hipster-looking outfits that he somehow managed to pull off flawlessly, skinny jeans with a gauzy lavender top, and his usual brown curls cascading down over his shoulders, pushed away from his face by a pair of sunglasses. Louis focused on  _ not _ staring at the outline of Harry’s tattoos peeking through his sheer shirt. 

“I definitely am,” Louis smiled. “Pull up a chair, love, join me.” He patted the empty lounge chair next to him and Harry took a seat, long legs stretching out in front of him. 

“Want a strawberry daiquiri?” Louis offered, taking another sip of his own drink. Harry giggled. 

“Louis, it’s not even two pm yet.” 

“It’s Saturday!” Louis protested. “Everyone knows day drinking is acceptable on weekends.” 

Harry pushed some of his curls behind his ear, dimples denting his cheek. Louis resisted the urge to reach forward and poke one. “I suppose you make a good point.” 

“I always make good points, Harold,” Louis smirked, and hopped up to head back inside. He could just hear Harry call out “That’s not my name!” from the other side of the screen door and he chuckled to himself. 

When he returned with the vibrant red drink, he couldn’t help staring at the way it turned Harry already pink, full lips a shade darker as he sipped. Harry slurped the drink happily, apparently oblivious to Louis’ distraction. 

Louis busied himself by idly flicking through Instagram on his phone.  _ Get a grip, Tomlinson,  _ he reminded himself. 

“It’s such a nice day,” Harry sighed contentedly, tipping his face toward the sunlight. “I think spring is finally here.” 

“You might just be right, Harold,” Louis agreed, settling back in his own chair and letting the taste of ice cold strawberries and rum rest on his tongue. 

Harry peeked an eye open. “It’s just Harry, you know. Not Harold.” 

“Nope, I’m calling you Harold. We’re friends now and friends need nicknames. Sorry love, it’s been decided.” 

“Oh yeah?” Harry grinned. “So what’s my nickname for you going to be then?” 

“Sometimes my friends call me ‘Tommo’,” Louis offered. “Or Lewis, if they’re trying to piss me off.” 

Harry laughed. “Good to know. I’ll save ‘Lewis’ for when I’m mad at you.” 

“I think we’ve had enough of that already, don’t you Harold?” Louis smirked. 

“True.” 

“You did call me ‘Lou’, the other day.” Louis grimaced internally as soon as the words were out of his mouth.  _ God, why did he even remember that?  _

Harry lit up, though, straightening in his seat. “That’s right! I didn’t even think of that. You’re ‘Lou’, then.” 

“If you say so, Harold,” Louis chuckled, but he felt fond all the same. 

“Summer reminds me of working at the bakery and homemade ice cream,” Harry sighed wistfully. 

“It’s not summer, it’s spring,” Louis pointed out, which earned him a chastising glare from Harry “Sorry, sorry!” he laughed, holding up his hands in surrender. “Do continue.” 

“Anyway,  _ Lewis,  _ I used to work at a bakery during summers in high school. And we would make fresh ice cream, three flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and mint chocolate chip – I still remember. I swear it tasted like heaven.” 

“Sounds lovely,” Louis agreed, smiling at the idea of a teenage Harry dishing up ice cream. It was definitely a cute thought. “I’ve never had homemade ice cream, but Ben and Jerry’s is alright.” 

“What?!” Harry sat straight up. “Never?” 

“Nope, never,” Louis shrugged. 

“Well, come on then,” Harry stood up and offered a hand expectantly. Louis raised an eyebrow and Harry huffed impatiently. “We’re going to make ice cream.” 

Louis raised his other eyebrow. “Don’t we need, like, ingredients? And an ice cream...thingie?” 

“An ice cream  _ maker. _ And yes, all of which I have, obviously. Who doesn’t keep cream and sugar around?” Harry asked incredulously. 

“Um, me?” Louis grinned and Harry rolled his eyes. 

“God you really are the worst, aren’t you? I have so much to teach you.”

“Alright then, teach me how to make ice cream in the middle of April, Harry Styles,” Louis laughed. 

Harry beamed. “That I can do.” 

Louis followed Harry across the lawn to his house (after grabbing their daiquiris, no reason to let those go to waste) and into his kitchen. 

He had been in Harry’s house before but it was still nice to see the familiarity of it. The walls of Harry’s kitchen were painted a soft yellow, and there were an eclectic mix of paintings on the walls. Some small pots with what looked like herbs growing in them were lined up under a window, glowing green in the afternoon sun. The house was very Harry, and Louis loved it. 

“Do you want an apron?” Harry asked, slipping a pink apron of his own over his head that said  _ All you knead is love _ on the front. Louis laughed and Harry dimpled in response. “Like it?” 

“It’s very you,” Louis rolled his eyes. “But no I’m alright, ta.” 

“‘Ta’” Harry mimicked, rummaging around in the cupboard and pulling out a large mixing bowl. “So British, aren’t you?” 

“Well I am from Yorkshire, love. That makes me pretty damn British I’d say,” Louis smirked.

“I’m just a boring American,” Harry complained as he hefted a rather enormous bag of sugar onto the counter. “No fun accents.” 

“American accents can be cute,” Louis objected. 

Harry looked up from where he was digging through the fridge, cheeks a little pink. “Really?” 

Louis smiled at him. “Sure, all your ‘you know’s and ‘awesome’s. Kind of cute. Mind, not talking about you specifically of course,” he teased with a wink and Harry rolled his eyes but he was still blushing a pretty pink. 

Louis’ own ears felt hot too. “So what do we do first?” he asked, changing the subject. 

Harry rested his hands on his hips, surveying the melee of ingredients he had stacked onto the counter. “Ah!” he lit up. “Most important thing is music.” 

“Didn’t know music was such an important part of ice cream making,” Louis said dryly, taking a sip of his melting daiquiri. 

Harry bounced off to the sitting room and returned a moment later with an honest to god  _ record player _ and set it on the kitchen table. “Music is everything, Lou,” Harry said, blowing some dust off a record and setting the needle down carefully. 

“You’re such a hipster, aren’t you?” Louis sighed, wandering over and picking up the dust jacket to examine it. The record looked well-worn and loved, an old copy of The Lovin’ Spoonful’s  _ Daydream. _

As Harry got the record playing, upbeat vintage pop filled the kitchen and Louis had to admit it was cheery. Harry did a little shimmy to “Do You Believe in Magic”, curls bouncing off his shoulders, and Louis couldn’t help but laugh. Harry’s joy was infectious. 

Making ice cream turned out not to be as difficult as Louis imagined. Harry set up a large saucepan with cream, milk, and sugar on the burner and gave Louis strict instructions to stir it and not let it burn. Louis stood at the stove and stirred obediently, watching Harry flit around the kitchen, setting up the ice cream machine and singing along with the record under his breath. He had a beautiful singing voice, Louis realized, and carried a tune excellently. 

Eventually they transferred the mixture to the ice cream machine and Harry added a generous amount of chocolate chunks and mint flavoring, having decided on making his favorite mint chocolate chip. Harry somehow ended up with a fleck of ice cream on the tip of his nose, and Louis wiped it off the pad of his thumb. Harry’s cheeks flushed again. 

By the time they got the ice cream churning they had both finished their daiquiris and they were both a little loose and relaxed from the alcohol. Louis made them mojitos using Harry’s impressive booze collection and the fresh mint he has on hand, because of course he did. 

Harry put on another record, Simon and Garfunkel this time, and they both stretched out on Harry’s sofa with their drinks while the ice cream maker churned rhymically in the background. 

Ice cubes clinked together as Louis took another sip of his mojito. Harry was sitting so close their shoulders were almost touching and Louis could smell Harry’s sweet omega scent. Louis tried his best _not_ to think about how easy it would be to turn and brush his lips against Harry’s. 

Harry wanted to be friends. Louis just needed to remember that. 

“So, Lewis,” Harry said, pulling the sunglasses out of his hair and setting them on the coffee table. His curls waterfalled down to his shoulders in beautiful waves. 

“So, Harold,” Louis echoed, tearing his eyes away from Harry’s hair. He raised an eyebrow questioningly. 

Harry giggled and sipped his mojito. “So besides mixing amazing drinks, what do you do?” 

“For work or just in life in general?” Louis laughed and Harry rolled his eyes at him. 

“Work, obviously. And what made you leave England anyway?” 

“I work as a recruiter for a firm back in the city. And I left Doncaster after I finished uni, with my best mate Zayn. He wanted to be a music producer and got a big break in New York, and I wanted to try something different so I came with him. And I never really left I guess. Still fly home every chance I get, though,” Louis shrugged. 

Harry studied him for a moment. His eyes really were the most lovely shade of green, and Louis could see little flecks of gold around his irises this close up. “But you bought a house here, not in Doncaster,” Harry mused. “And not even in the city.” 

“I wanted a change,” Louis said vaguely. He didn’t feel quite like telling Harry about his dreams of finding his omega to settle down with and start a family, not yet anyway. “What about you, did you grow up here?” 

“No I grew up in Wisconsin,” Harry made a face and Louis laughed. “I moved to New York after college because my sister, Gemma, was already here. And then my mom and stepdad came here eventually too, so we’re all here now.” Harry bopped his head absently along to “The Sounds of Silence”, looking lost in thought. 

“I bought this house about a year ago. After my boyfriend and I broke up,” Harry added eventually. 

Louis’ heart sped up slightly and he took another long pull on his drink. He knew Harry had been hurt by an alpha in his past and was very curious about it, but also didn’t want to push Harry. 

“Is he the reason you didn’t trust me at first?” Louis asked gently. 

“Yeah,” Harry nodded and he looked so sad that Louis couldn’t stop from reaching out to squeeze Harry’s shoulder and rub his thumb there soothingly. 

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, love,” Louis murmured. “But if you want to, I’m here to listen.” 

“No, I want to,” Harry shook his head, biting his lip. “It like, helps? Talking about it, I mean.” 

Harry had a very slow way of talking, with lots of pauses in between words as he chose the right ones. With anyone else Louis probably would find it annoying but he didn’t with Harry. He just sat still and patiently waited for whenever Harry was ready to say more, still rubbing his shoulder gently. 

“His name was Adrian,” Harry started finally, staring down at his hands in his lap. His fingernails were a bright red today, like cherries in summertime. “And we were together for...five years, I think? We started dating when I was 24, so yeah, about five years. Um...and he was the first person I loved, like really loved, you know?” 

Harry glanced up at Louis quickly, looking for reassurance, and Louis nodded. “I know, Harry. There’s nothing like your first real love.” 

“Yeah, there really isn’t, is there?” Harry sighed, looking off into the distance with a heavy look on his face. Not for the first time, Louis wished he could protect Harry from everything bad in the world, if only to keep him from ever looking this sad again. He couldn’t, though, but he did wrap a hand around Harry’s in his lap, letting him know he wasn’t alone.

“At first it was really great,” Harry continued. “We were really happy. Or I was, at least. But then, over time, I dunno, things just started changing. He started getting really protective, telling me I couldn’t do stuff. And I didn’t mind at first, because I loved spending time with him. But then he would start telling me things like I wasn’t smart, or that I didn’t know what I was talking about, because I was an omega.” 

Anger flared in Louis’ stomach but he didn’t interrupt. 

“And it was weird, like. I didn’t listen to him in the beginning because I knew he was just trying to control me. But after a while, it sort of, got in my head? Like I would start thinking, oh maybe I  _ shouldn’t  _ go out by myself or maybe I really am dumb. Even though I’m not. But I was so in love with him and I just wanted things to work so I just stayed, even though all my friends were telling me I wasn’t acting like myself anymore, that Adrian had changed me.” 

A tear fell from Harry’s eye, dropping into his lap, and he plowed on. 

“It wasn’t until later that I found out he had been cheating on me for months, maybe years, even. And he had manipulated me into believing all the lies he fed me, into thinking I couldn’t do anything by myself and  _ needed  _ him. Because he was my alpha and ‘omegas always need alphas’. Until one day I finally, finally, had enough, and I got up the courage to leave. Thank God Niall and Liam were there, I dunno what I would have done without them. I was a mess for a long time after that, and Adrian kept trying to get me back for a while but luckily he wasn’t able to. 

“And so, I bought a house here and started teaching kindergarten and life has been good. Really good for the first time in a long time. And sometimes I’m just so afraid that I’ll lose it all? Even though Adrian doesn’t know where I live or have my number or anything – and I wouldn’t go within 100 feet of him anyway – but I guess I get scared of someone taking over like that again. Of losing myself again. I don’t ever want to go back to that. So...yeah, that’s it basically.” 

Tears were falling hard and fast now, Harry’s face wet with it, and something inside Louis broke. 

“Oh, love,” he cooed, and swiftly pulled Harry against his chest, who buried his face into his shoulder, chest heaving with sobs. “Oh darling, I’m so, so sorry you went through that. You are so brave and good.  _ Shhh, _ love, you’re alright, you’re okay.” 

Harry cried freely into Louis’ t-shirt and Louis kept murmuring soothing words, rubbing large, slow circles on Harry’s back with a hand. He carded his other hand through Harry’s curls, which seemed to comfort Harry, as he nuzzled in closer to Louis. 

“It’s okay Harry, I’m here. Just let it out, love,” Louis whispered, pulling Harry as close as he could. A tear dripped out of his own eye and he wiped it away hastily. Louis was not a crier and yet Harry being so hurt, so vulnerable, made even him a little emotional. 

Louis held Harry tight until his heaving sobs turned to shudders, and then to quiet sniffles. He didn’t stop rubbing Harry’s back, kept petting his hair, until Harry finally took a deep breath and looked up. 

His face was flushed from crying, his eyes awfully red and puffy. Louis still thought he looked absolutely beautiful. 

He pulled some tissues out from the box on the table and handed them to Harry, who mopped up his face. Louis gently brushed some of the hair away from his eyes so he could get a better look at him. 

“Are you alright, love?” he asked softly, wiping a stray tear off Harry’s cheek with his thumb. “Did it feel good to let it out?” 

Harry nodded quietly. “Yeah,” he let out a long breath. “Yeah, it did. God, I don’t think I’ve cried that hard since, well maybe ever.” He grimaced when his gaze fell to the large damp spot on Louis’ shirt. “God, I’m sorry Louis. I’m such a mess.” 

“Shh, no it’s fine Harry,” Louis soothed, rubbing a hand up and down his arm a few times to reassure him. “I don’t mind, I promise.” 

“Thank you,” Harry said earnestly.

“Of course, babe. Anytime,” Louis murmured.

“Well,” Harry laughed shakily. “I’m not sure what to say after all that, really. Sorry.” 

“You don’t need to apologize,” Louis reminded him gently. “How about I’ll make us some tea and you can check on the ice cream?” 

“Sounds good,” Harry smiled tentatively, and Louis was relieved to see his dimples again. 

Harry slipped his hand in Louis’ after they got up from the couch and made their way back to the kitchen. Louis smiled a little and squeezed Harry’s hand back to let him know it was okay. He could tell Harry still needed the comfort, and Louis was happy to provide it. 

Louis set the kettle boiling while Harry peered at the ice cream maker, announcing it was making good progress. Then Harry put a new record on (“Something happy, please Harry,” Louis begged) and made grilled cheese sandwiches in the skillet for both of them. 

They sat out on Harry’s back deck, eating sandwiches that turned Louis’ fingers greasy with butter, the sun dipping low on the horizon. As Louis watched the sky turn watercolor pinks and purples, glancing over to admire the way the dim light cast pretty shadows on Harry’s face, a surge of fondness rose in his chest. It felt a bit like falling in love, but at the moment, Louis couldn’t find a reason to care. 


	4. Chapter 4

“It’s Liam’s turn to pick the movie,” Harry announced, returning to the living room carrying a large bowl of popcorn. “Niall you picked last, remember?” 

Niall groaned and propped his socked feet up on Harry’s coffee table. “But Liam always picks the worst action movies,” he complained. 

“Hey I pick interesting movies!” Liam defended, crossing his arms. “Better than a  _ Janis Joplin Documentary, _ honestly,” he smirked at Harry. 

“Heyyy, you two said you liked it,” Harry whined, setting down the bowl on the table and taking a spot on the couch next to Niall. 

“We were being nice,” Niall snorted, grabbing a handful of popcorn. His next words were barely understable through his stuffed mouth. “We din’ wan t’hurt your feelings.” 

Harry turned and pouted at Liam, who just shrugged. “It’s kind of true,” he admitted. “But we still love you Haz.”

“No more snacks for you guys,” Harry grumbled. “Insulting my movie choices in my own home. Terrible friends.” 

“Did you tell Liam about your  _ new  _ friend yet?” Niall waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Harry felt himself flush. 

“Oh, you made a new friend? That’s nice,” Liam said absentmindedly, distracted with flipping through Harry’s Netflix queue. 

“Not just any friend, an  _ alpha _ friend,” Niall continued, and Harry resisted the urge to kick him. “Who Harry is totally in love with, I might add.” 

“I am not!” Harry defended, crossing his arms. “He’s just a friend. I don’t date alphas, you know that.” 

“I’m an alpha,” Liam turned his puppy-dog eyes on Harry. “Wouldn’t you date me?” 

“Ugh, Li, you don’t count,” Harry rolled his eyes. “You’re too nice to be an alpha. And you’re practically my brother, that would be completely weird.” 

“Just sayin’,” Liam said, returning to his movie search. “Seems a little judgemental.” 

“See, Harry, I’m not the only one who thinks you should give him a chance,” Niall said. 

“I have given him a chance! He’s not as horrible as I thought, ok? I was wrong. But I didn’t mean I’m  _ in love  _ with him, either. We’re just friends,” Harry huffed and sat back, hoping to end this conversation. 

“Whatever you say,” Niall smirked. 

“You said he’s your neighbor?” Liam asked. “Why don’t you invite him over for the movie? It’d be cool to meet him.” 

Harry bit his lip, considering. Liam and Niall were a pain in the ass sometimes but they were also his best friends, and maybe he did miss Louis a little bit. He’d been busy with work and they hadn’t seen much of each other since they made ice cream and Harry cried all over his shoulder. He was still slightly embarrassed about that, even if Louis had been completely sweet about it. Harry needed a chance to show Louis he could be emotionally stable, at least  _ some _ of the time. 

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if Niall and Liam met Louis. Harry liked introducing his friends to each other, anyway. It brought him some sort of weird satisfaction to see worlds colliding. 

“You know what? I think I will invite him,” Harry decided, jumping up from the couch. “But because I want to, not because of your meddling.”

“Sure, sure,” Niall grinned. 

Harry stopped by his room first to peer into his full-length mirror. It probably was a bit unnecessary but he wanted to make sure he looked okay. Not because he was seeing Louis, though. No, Harry just cared about his appearance in general.  _ Right. _

Today he had on his black skinnies with a loose shimmery blue button down top patterned with tiny bees. His hair looked decent, falling in messy curls to his shoulders. Harry swiped on a layer of cherry chapstick and pulled on his favorite boots, heading out the door. 

Harry knocked on Louis’ door, small butterflies of excitement fluttering in his stomach. He hadn’t realized how much he was looking forward to seeing Louis again. 

It wasn’t Louis who answered the door, though. Instead it was a gorgeous man with dark hair and equally dark eyes framed by long eyelashes. He looked like he could give any model a run for their money. Harry startled a little, not expecting anyone other than Louis to be there. 

“Oh, um, hi!” Harry said, sticking out a hand after he recovered from his surprise. “I’m Harry, I live next door? Um, anyway I was just coming by to see if Louis was free, but now I can see that he’s busy…” Harry trailed off, running a hand through his hair. 

The other man, who Harry could tell was a beta, smiled a little with just a slight quirk of his lips at the corner. “Yeah, Harry I’ve heard about you. Louis is here, no worries.” He twisted behind him, calling out a loud “Louis! Harry’s here!” in a thick, northern sounding English accent. 

Harry eyed the handsome beta and an unexpected flash of jealousy made his chest tighten. Were Louis and this guy...involved? The thought made Harry more upset than it probably should. 

Louis appeared a few moments later. His hair was tousled, and he was dressed in a pair of ripped skinny jeans and an oversized black Addias sweatshirt. Harry had to admit the effect was kind of – or maybe a lot – cute. 

“Hey Harry,” Louis smiled at him, blue eyes sparkling. Harry hadn’t realized how much he had missed that smile. “I see you’ve met my best mate Zayn.” 

“Oh, you’re Zayn!” Harry exclaimed, relief washing over him. It was just the best friend Louis had talked about before. “Nice to officially meet you.” 

“Likewise,” Zayn nodded amiably. 

“What’s up, love?” Louis asked, and Harry flushed the way he always did when Louis called him that. 

“It’s nothing,” Harry shook his head. “I was going to invite you over to watch a movie with some of my friends, but I’ll leave you two alone.” 

He turned to go but Louis caught his wrist before he could. “No, wait! Zayn and I really weren’t up to anything, were we Z?” Louis said, catching Zayn’s eye, who nodded in agreement. “We could come over.” 

“Really?” Harry brightened. It really would be nice to spend the evening with Louis. And his friends too, of course. “That’s great.” 

After Louis chucked a beanie over his hair and Zayn grabbed a jacket, Harry led them over to his house. 

“Guys, this is Louis and Zayn,” Harry introduced once they were inside. “Zayn, Louis, this is Niall and Liam. Well, Louis you already know Niall, of course.” 

There was a chorus of friendly greetings and Harry ushered the two newcomers over to the couch. “Make yourself at home,” he insisted. “What’s mine is yours, and all that.” 

Zayn sat down on the end of the couch next to where Liam was and Louis took the seat next to Niall. “So what’re we watching?” Louis asked conversationally, and Niall laughed. 

“Liam’s going to pick another awful superhero movie, no doubt,” he rolled his eyes and Liam sent him a wounded look. 

“Marvel or DC?” Zayn asked Liam quietly.

Liam lit up with a broad grin. “You like comics too?” he beamed. 

“Oh Zayn is a huge superhero nerd,” Louis said, which earned him an annoyed look from Zayn. “Well, it’s true!” 

“Sweet, I am too,” Liam smiled. He and Zayn quickly devolved into a conversation about Batman versus Ironman, and Harry quietly slipped off to the kitchen, pleased to see his friends getting along. 

He returned with a round of drinks and a veggie plate, which he set on the table and surveyed the scene with his hands on his hips. “Everyone good? Anyone need anything?” he asked. 

Louis patted the empty spot on the couch next to him invitingly. “We’re all fine Harry. Have a seat and relax, love.” 

Harry obligingly slid into the spot, nestled between Louis and the arm of the couch. His couch was big but not  _ that  _ big, so his own broad shoulders were pressed tightly against Louis' smaller ones. He wiggled around a little, trying to get comfortable, accidentally elbowing Louis in the process. 

_ “Ow, _ stop fidgeting,” Louis laughed. “Here.” He freed his arm that was sandwiched between the two of them and stretched it out along the back of the couch instead, his hand coming to rest on Harry’s other shoulder. “This ok?” 

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Harry said, hoping his cheeks weren’t red from the sudden flush of warmth he felt at being tucked under Louis’ arm. 

“Good,” Louis smiled at him, eyes crinkling at the corners. 

“So what are we watching, Li?” Harry asked. He definitely needed something to think about other than Louis’ warm body pressed next to his and the woodsy, attractive alpha scent drifting off him. 

“Huh?” Liam glanced up from where he was hunched over looking at something Zayn was showing him on his phone. “Oh, I dunno. Niall can pick,” he said distractedly. Zayn swiped to something on his phone and Liam outright  _ giggled _ . Harry gaped. He had definitely never heard Liam giggle before.

“Sweet!” Niall cheered, grabbing the remote. “We can watch something good for once.” 

Harry caught Louis’ eye and they shared questioning looks with each other. “Well Zayn and Liam are certainly getting along well,” Louis whispered to him, and Harry laughed softly. 

“Seems that way,” Harry agreed, and leaned in a little closer to him. Just for the warmth, that was all. Louis tightened his arm around him. 

“Did you have a good week, love?” Louis murmured, quiet enough for only Harry to hear. “I haven’t seen you much.” 

“Oh, um,” Harry felt a little shy to have Louis’ attention solely on him, although it was also nice. “Yeah it was good, just busy. I started a unit on mammals with the kiddos and they liked getting to make animal masks.” 

Louis chuckled. “That sounds adorable.” 

“They were pretty cute,” Harry agreed, smiling at the thought of his kindergartners. “How was your week?” 

“Oh it was alright. The company is growing so we’re bringing on a ton of people and it was a long week. Better now I’m here, though.” 

Harry nestled closer to him. “Same.” 

“Hey, if you two are done whispering in each other’s ears, the movie’s starting,” Niall called and Harry blushed. He was probably just imagining it, but when he glanced at Louis, he looked a little embarrassed too. 

“We weren’t whispering,” Harry protested. Niall shot him a flat look and didn’t comment. 

Harry glanced over at Liam, who was uncharacteristically quiet. Apparently he was still distracted with Zayn. Those two seemed to be in a bubble of their own, chatting quietly not unlike he and Louis just had been. 

Harry felt a bit bad for getting so swept up in Louis and ignoring his best friends who he was supposed to be spending time with, so he focused on the movie –  _ Apollo 13  _ – Niall had picked, chatting with him idly about astronauts. Louis, Zayn, and Liam chimed in too, and it was nice, like they had all been a group of friends for a while instead of this being the first time they were all hanging out together. 

Harry had to admit it also felt lovely to be snuggled up under Louis’ arm, the alpha rubbing his thumb across his shoulder occasionally. Louis was warm and comfortable, and being with him just felt natural, the way it always had since they decided to become friends. 

“I’m glad we’re friends,” Harry murmured, resting his head against Louis’ sweatshirt. Louis ran a few fingers through his hair, and Harry could feel his chest vibrate with a light chuckle. 

“I’m glad we’re friends too, love,” Louis whispered back. Harry smiled privately to himself and let his eyes fall closed. Right now, everything felt perfect. 

Harry drifted in and out of a light doze as the movie played, and also through the next one ( _ Wonderwoman,  _ picked by Liam and Zayn). He was content just to stay tucked up next to Louis, listening to him laugh and chat with the other boys, Louis occasionally reaching down to smooth his fingers through his hair as though he was reassuring Harry that he was still there. 

“I think it’s your bedtime, Harry,” Liam laughed a while later, and Harry pulled himself with difficulty out of the doze he’d been in. 

“Wha’? No, ‘m fine,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes to clear them. “Super awake,” he promised. 

Something about it must have been funny because there was a round of soft laughs from the other boys, and Louis rested a hand on his back, rubbing gently. 

“You’re knackered, Harry, it’s fine,” Louis said. “We’ll carry on the party in your honor. But you clearly need to get some proper rest.” 

Harry couldn’t suppress a rather inopportune yawn, jaw popping a little with it. He had to admit his bed did sound really inviting right now. 

“I’ll make sure we lock up when we leave,” Liam promised. “Just go to bed, Haz.” 

“Oh alright,” Harry grumbled, knowing there was no real use in fighting it anyway. Movies always made him incredibly sleepy, as Liam and Niall well knew, and he trusted Liam to make sure everything was good before they left because he had done it a million times before. 

Harry got up with a groan, stretching and heading off to his bedroom. But his sleep-heavy limbs were a little more harder to manage than usual and he stumbled against the coffee table, nearly falling over. 

Louis jumped up immediately, cupping a firm hand around his elbow to steady him. “Careful, Harry,” he chastised lightly, moving his hand to place it on Harry’s lower back. “I’m going to make sure Bambi here gets to his bed in one piece,” Louis announced, chuckling.

Harry let Louis guide him back toward his bedroom, even though he probably  _ could  _ manage to get there in one piece on his own. But the feeling of having Louis’ solid, steadying presence at his side was nice, so he doesn’t object. 

“I like your bedroom,” Louis said once he stepped inside, and Harry felt a little sheepish even through the fog of his sleepiness. 

“Oh...um, thank you, I guess?” Harry said, glancing around. There was a pile of unwashed laundry in the corner and he hadn’t made his bed today either. It wasn’t exactly glamorous, so he wasn’t sure what Louis was talking about. 

“No, it’s just very...Harry, that’s all,” Louis grinned, admiring some of the abstract art Harry had hung on the walls. 

“I hope that’s a good thing.” 

“It’s a very good thing, don’t worry,” Louis pushed him closer to the bed. “Now, time for you to get some sleep. Did you want to put on pajamas?” 

“Lou, I’m not five,” Harry mumbled, sprawling out across his bed. “I can handle myself.” 

“You know, you say that and yet...” Louis raised an eyebrow at Harry’s position starfished across his bed. “Well at least get under the covers, then. You’ll get cold.” 

Harry wriggled his way under the large fluffy duvet on his bed and felt his stomach twist when Louis reached over and tugged up the covers over his shoulders for him. 

“Get some sleep, love,” Louis murmured, squeezing Harry’s shoulder. Harry watched Louis hover by his bed through his heavy eyelids. He almost invited Louis to stay with him, but some part of his sleepy-hazy brain told him he shouldn’t, although he couldn’t exactly figure out why. 

“Night, Lou,” Harry’s eyes did close, then, and he settled further into the pillows. 

He thought he felt a brush of lips against his forehead, but he was asleep too quickly to figure out for sure. 

♡♡♡

Louis started spending a lot more time with Harry after the movie night. He and Harry got along as easily as if they’d known each other their whole lives. Their friend groups ended up meshing surprisingly well, too, so all five of them started getting together more often for random hangouts, game nights, and just general goofiness. 

As much as he tried to ignore it, Louis couldn’t deny his growing attraction to Harry. The more time he spent around him the more he realized just how wonderful Harry truly was. Not only did he always somehow manage to strike an uncanny balance between gorgeous and adorable, he was also kind, smart, and lovably eccentric. 

But Louis knew he would just have to keep those feelings tucked away. Harry had made it very clear that he was only interested in being friends and Louis had to respect that, no matter how much he sometimes longed to kiss those plush pink lips of his, or spend all night with Harry tucked against him. They were friends, and Louis would just have to deal. 

His pent-up feelings about Harry did make for good inspiration to work on his footie game though, tiring himself out kicking goals and practicing his footwork always helped him get out any frustrations he had at the current situation. 

Which is probably why, one evening as he was kicking goals in his backyard with Zayn watching from the deck (Louis had never been able to convince him to play, even in their twenty-odd years of friendship), that Louis got a little too into his game and before he knew it was on the ground with a sharply twisted ankle. 

The ensuing trip to urgent care thankfully revealed nothing more than a sprained ankle, but he was saddled with a pair of crutches and strict instructions to keep weight off his right foot for at least a week. 

Louis was not exactly someone who enjoyed sitting still, so this felt a bit like an unfair punishment from the universe on top of being in love with someone he couldn’t have. He spent the next day hobbling around his house feeling sorry for himself and annoyed. 

Sprained ankle or no, however, he did still need to eat, so the following afternoon he decided to make a quick trip to a nearby Chinese place for takeout. He wasn’t an  _ invalid _ , he could manage a simple trip to get some food, he reasoned. 

He was just hobbling on his crutches out to his car when Harry spotted him from across the way. 

“Oh my god, Lou, what happened?” Harry exclaimed, rushing over. “Are you alright? Why are you on crutches?” 

“Don’t worry love, I’m fine,” Louis assured. “Just a bit of a sprained ankle, that’s all. Nothing to fuss about.” 

“You sprained your ankle?” Harry frowned deeply, a crease appearing between his eyebrows. He seemed genuinely worried, which caught Louis off guard. He wouldn’t have expected Harry to care so much about it. 

“Yeah, playing footie in the backyard. Who knew my favorite sport would betray me like this?” he joked. 

Harry didn’t laugh, he was still frowning at him. “Harry, really I’m alright, I promise,” Louis added more seriously, reaching out and squeezing Harry’s hand. “You don’t need to worry, I’m fine.” 

“You don’t look fine,” Harry bit his lip, peering down at Louis’ ankle, which was wrapped in a soft bandage. His ankle  _ was _ rather swollen and bruised looking beneath the wrap, but Harry didn’t need to know that. 

Louis was touched at his concern, though. He was so used to looking after Harry that he was a little flustered to have all that attention turned back on him. 

“Well...I was just going to pick up some food,” Louis shrugged, readjusting his crutches with a slight grimace. The things were really damn uncomfortable. “I’ve been laid up on me couch, going a bit mental honestly.”

“Why didn’t you call me? I would have come over,” Harry pouted at him, looking actually kind of hurt. 

Louis hesitated, slightly bewildered. “Uh...I guess I didn’t think you would want to deal with me being all mopey and injured? I’ve been in a bit of a strop, to be honest.” 

“Of course I would,” Harry’s eyes softened. “Don’t be silly, Lou. I always want to spend time with you, even if you’re grumpy. Especially if you’re, like, injured, or whatever.” 

“Oh…” Louis wondered if he was blushing. Why did he feel so off-kilter all of a sudden? “Well, thanks. And same, of course.” 

Harry smiled, his dimples finally making an appearance. “Good, glad we have that settled.” 

“You’re welcome to join me on my takeaway run,” Louis offered. 

Harry raised an eyebrow. “And how exactly were you planning on driving there?” 

Louis looked down at his bandaged foot, over to his car, and then back again. He sagged. “Shit. You’re right.” 

Harry giggled. “I can’t believe you just figured that out, Lou. C’mon, why don’t I just cook dinner for you instead? I’m sure it’ll be healthier than whatever you were planning on getting anyway.” He crinkled up his nose. 

“Not all of us live off kale smoothies and sprouted wheat bread,” Louis rolled his eyes. 

“Heyy, you tried that bread and said it wasn’t so bad.” 

“I didn’t say it was good, either,” Louis winked, and Harry huffed out a sigh.

“Please let me cook for you?” Harry widened his big green eyes, looking absolutely pathetic. It shouldn’t have worked on Louis, but of course it did. 

“Oh alright, you oaf,” Louis sighed, and Harry beamed, dimples appearing in full force. “I’ll go back inside and let you cook for me. I expect to be well-fed, mind you.” 

Harry rolled his eyes. “I know you’re joking, but honestly you will certainly be much better off with my cooking than greasy takeout.” 

Louis harrumphed, letting Harry nudge him in the general direction of his house, wobbling slightly on his crutches. He begrudgingly had to admit it felt nice to sink back down onto his sofa, throwing aside the damn torture devices and propping his injured foot up on the table. 

“I’m going to get some ingredients to bring them over.” Harry pinched his bottom lip between his thumb and forefinger, looking thoughtful. “I probably have stuff for...chicken stir-fry with veggies? And maybe some wild rice on the side? How does that sound?” 

“Sounds lovely,” Louis admitted, groaning a little as he massaged his swollen ankle. 

“And I’m getting you some ice for that, too,” Harry frowned at him. “Do you have like...pots and pans or do I need to bring those over?” 

“Honestly Harry, I may not cook, but I’m not a complete disaster. Of course I have  _ pans.”  _

“The other day you were using an old shirt to mop up a spill because you didn’t have any dishrags,” Harry said pointedly. 

“That was one time!” Louis protested. “You’re the worst. Shoo, go be a good omega and cook me dinner,” he winked. Then he grimaced, wishing he could take it back. He was only kidding of course, but it was exactly that sort of humor that had made Harry hate him before. 

Thankfully, Harry laughed, apparently unbothered. “Yes, alpha dear. I’ll get right on it,” he cooed in a syrupy sweet voice. 

Louis chuckled, and Harry bounced out the door to his own house. 

He returned some time later with his arms laden with an array of ingredients, and Louis immediately hopped up to help before he could think twice. 

“Ow, fuck!” he swore after putting weight on his bad ankle. He fell back on the couch with a groan. “Bad idea.” 

He couldn’t help that his immediate response would always be to help Harry whenever he was in need, and it made him a bit sour that he couldn’t do so now. 

“Stay there, Lou!” Harry called, toddling in with his precarious pile of food, biting his lip in concentration. Louis watched with a fond smile as Harry unsteadily made his way to the kitchen, dumping everything on the counter. 

“Wasn’t sure you were going to make it, there,” Louis smirked, and Harry shot him a dirty look. 

“Why would you think that?” 

“Oh I dunno, maybe because you have the coordination of a six-year-old? A  _ drunk _ six-year old.” 

“Don’t be mean to the person who’s feeding you,” Harry pouted, putting his hands on his hips. 

“Aww, love,” Louis cooed, never able to resist that adorable face, even if it was just Harry hamming it up. He got up from the couch – with his crutches this time – and made his way over to Harry. “You’re always lovely, darling, coordinated or not,” he said, tucking a stray curl behind Harry’s ear, and admiring the pretty pink flush that bloomed in his cheeks. 

Louis surveyed the assortment of food strewn across his kitchen table. “Now, how can I help?” 

“Lou, you can help by  _ sitting down _ ,” Harry sighed, pulling out a chair at the table and staring at him pointedly until he grumbled and took the seat. 

“Not helpless,” Louis muttered to no one in particular. 

Harry giggled and slipped on his bright pink apron that he had brought over apparently, because he was a ridiculous person like that. “Would it help if I fluttered my eyelashes and told you that you are a big strong alpha who is always helpful and umm...strong?” 

“Yes Harry, that would help very much,” Louis deadpanned. 

“Then you are a big strong alpha who is always helpful and super duper strong,” Harry trilled, doing a little pirouette for emphasis. His feet got tangled of course and he nearly tripped, and Louis sat upright reflexively again, but managed to keep his seat this time. 

“Okay love, thank you for the encouragement, now  _ don’t hurt yourself  _ please,” Louis begged exasperatedly. “We don’t need both of us injured.” 

“You’re probably right,” Harry sighed, looking down at his feet sadly as though they had betrayed him.

In the end, Harry set Louis up with a cutting board and some carrots, zucchini, and bell peppers, to chop while sitting at the kitchen table. Harry meanwhile, flitted around Louis’ kitchen like it was his own, finding spices Louis didn’t even realize he owned. Soon the whole house smelled of a delicious combination of garlic, onion, and soy sauce as Harry sauteed the vegetables and some chicken breasts. 

Louis couldn’t help pondering how nice it all was, not only Harry’s amazing culinary skills, but also just having him here in his house, as comfortable as if it were his own. It would be so lovely to share a home with Harry, to laugh and banter and just generally enjoy each other’s company on a daily basis. The thought made Louis smile, even if it was one that couldn’t happen. 

Dinner ended up being as delicious as it had smelled cooking. Louis and Harry ate together at the dining room table, Harry cracking up around mouthfuls of stir-fry as Louis recounted some of his more hilarious childhood moments.

After a “dessert” of fresh fruit with whipped cream (that Louis insisted absolutely did not count as a proper dessert, while Harry insisted it did), they stayed chatting at the table for a while. Harry eventually got them both glasses of wine, and Louis somehow ended up with his foot propped up in Harry’s lap, Harry holding a bag of ice to Louis’ swollen ankle. 

“See, I can take care of you too,” Harry said as he readjusted the ice bag to a new angle. “This okay?” 

“More than okay, that feels amazing,” Louis groaned. He studied Harry for a moment. His brown curls were falling messily into his face as he leaned over Louis. He seemed relaxed, happy. 

“I guess I just wasn’t expecting you to...want to?” Louis admitted after a beat. “Take care of me that is, or whatever. I can’t imagine Zayn icing my ankle for me,” he chuckled. Even the thought was a bit ridiculous. 

Harry looked up at that, bright green eyes shining bright. “Well I’m not Zayn, am I? I’m Harry.” 

“No, no you’re not, love,” Louis smiled softly, reaching forward and resting his hand over Harry’s. “And I’m very lucky to have you as a friend.” 

“Stop being all mushy, Lou,” Harry complained, but he was blushing anway.

They spent the rest of the night together lazing on Louis’ couch and watching old Parks and Rec episodes, and Louis couldn't forget how lucky he was. 


	5. Chapter 5

Harry frowned in concentration as he scrolled through Spotify on his phone, searching for the perfect song to fit the mood. 

Louis glanced over from the driver’s seat next to him, looking as effortlessly handsome as ever with a hand loosely draped over the steering wheel. “You always take so long to pick music,” he laughed. “We’ll be there by the time you choose something, love.” 

“Hush,” Harry scolded, not looking up from his phone. “Ah, yes, it’s a Fleetwood Mac kind of day don’t you think?” He tapped the screen and “Landslide” started playing on from the stereo Louis’ car. 

“If you say so, Harold,” Louis rolled his eyes.

It wasn’t new, Louis teasing Harry about his music choices. Louis had started driving Harry to work in the mornings and he always made fun of Harry for his eclectic taste in music, but Harry knew he secretly enjoyed it. Plus, there were only so many times Harry could listen to the top 40 nonsense that Louis loved. 

It didn’t really make any sense for Louis to give Harry rides to his school every morning, since Louis worked from home. But it had started when Louis found Harry walking to the bus stop in the rain one morning and learned he didn’t have a car. After that he had insisted on giving Harry rides, claiming he liked to drive, and had eventually worn Harry’s polite refusals down with sheer persistence. 

Now it was their new weekday routine. Harry didn’t want to think too hard about how much he loved the fact that Louis was the first person he saw in the morning.

“Can’t go wrong with Stevie Nicks,” Harry grinned, tapping his fingers on his knee with the beat. 

“It’s a solid choice,” Louis hummed, eyes on the road. Harry watched the familiar scenery fly past, adjusting his headscarf. Despite it being spring, it was an unusually chilly day and Harry huddled a little deeper into his button down. 

“Warm enough, love?” Louis looked over, already reaching for the temperature dial. Harry blushed a little and smiled. Louis really was such an  _ alpha _ sometimes. But Harry didn’t mind, not really. 

“I’m okay,” Harry promised, rubbing a hand over Louis’ arm quickly in reassurance. “Thanks, though. And thanks again for driving me, too.” 

“I told you you don’t have to keep saying thank you Harry.” 

“I know. But still. Thank you.” 

“Of course, H.”

Louis smoothly merged onto the highway. He was an excellent driver, which really didn’t help Harry remember that he only liked Louis as a friend. Something about Louis at the wheel, steering one handed while deftly controlling the manual transmission with his other, was very attractive. Harry turned to focus back out the window.  _ They were friends. He didn’t date alphas _ . Right. 

Harry sipped his travel mug of earl grey tea and chose another Fleetwood Mac song when the first one ended. The sun was just rising, casting pretty peaches and purples over the horizon. His kindergarten class started at 7:30 and he liked to get there a few minutes early to prep, so he and Louis always got great views of the sunrise. 

“Hey, Harry?” Louis said after a few minutes, clearing his throat. Harry turned to face him. Louis sounded nervous, which was unusual. They were so comfortable together that there was rarely any awkwardness between them these days. 

“Yeah, Lou?” Harry answered, curious. 

“Um, remember I told you about one of my mates back in the city, Nick Grimshaw? Well, I don’t know, maybe you don’t remember, I’ve told you about a lot of people and I have a lot of mates. Not that I’m trying to say I’m like, super popular or something. Jesus,” Louis spilled out, sweeping his fringe away from his forehead in the way he always did when he was nervous. 

“Lou, breathe,” Harry giggled, reaching over and rubbing his knee. “You’re rambling. Yeah, I remember you mentioning Nick, ‘course. The one who does radio, right?” 

Louis blew out a long breath. “Right, yes. Well, anyway he’s getting married, this month? And he gave me a plus one – why, I have no idea, since I’ve been single for like, a century, but that’s beside the point. And he and his fiancé are super cute and I’m pumped and all but I also hate going to these things alone, y’know?” Louis took another breath. “So anyway, long story short...would you want to go with me?” 

Harry opened his mouth, and then closed it, not sure how to respond. Louis couldn’t possibly mean what Harry thought he did, could he? 

“As friends!” Louis rushed, looking slightly panicked. “Sorry! I meant just as friends, of course. And you can totally say no. I don’t know how you feel about meeting all my friends and going to the city, maybe getting a suit if you don’t have –” 

“I’d love to,” Harry interrupted before Louis could ramble further. “I’d love to be your platonic plus one. Sounds fun.” He grinned over at him. “And I have many suits, even a pink one.” 

“Of course you do,” Louis huffed, chuckling. “Okay love, that’s great. Everyone will love you, I’m sure.” 

“Thanks for inviting me,” Harry smiled, although it felt slightly forced. He should feel so happy that Louis felt they were good enough friends to invite him to go to a wedding with him. And he did, but there was also a feeling of disappointment lurking in his stomach. Why had he thought Louis was asking him on a date? And why had that thought made his heart pound?

Thankfully, Louis seemed blissfully unaware of the confusing feelings swirling in Harry’s chest, looking quite happy. “Want to know a secret?” Louis asked conspiratorially. 

Harry pushed the disappointed feeling aside. He was just being silly. “Oh, do tell,” he raised an eyebrow. 

“Rumor has it that Zayn is going to ask Liam to the wedding. As his date,” Louis waggled his eyebrows suggestively. 

“And by ‘rumor has it’, you mean Zayn told you that he’s asking Liam?” Harry guessed, laughing. 

“Ugh you’re no fun, Harold. Yes, fine, Zayn told me. Still, a budding romance between our two best friends, eh?” 

Harry did feel a genuine spark of happiness at this news. Liam couldn’t stop talking about Zayn these days, clearly head over heels for him already. He would definitely be excited for Zayn to ask him out, Harry was sure. 

“They’ll make a cute couple,” Harry mused. 

“They will,” Louis hummed in agreement. 

Harry let silence fall between them and took another long sip of his tea. He watched the scenery of suburban New York fly past, wondering if maybe he had been wrong about what he wanted, after all. 

♡♡♡

Harry smoothed down the front of his suit jacket, studying his appearance in the mirror critically. He reached up and fluffed his curls a little, then picked a minuscule piece of lint off his pants. 

He was really just being fussy, he knew he looked fine. But today he was going to the wedding in the city with Louis and he had to admit he was a bit nervous about meeting all of Louis’ friends. And also there was the fact that despite himself, he really did want Louis to think he looked nice. 

Uncapping a bottle of Gucci cologne (that had taken him two months to save up for), Harry sprayed a fine mist into the air and walked through it, then tapped a little into the insides of his wrists. He glanced one more time into the mirror, resisting the urge to run another hand through his hair. He had just managed to get it to that point where his curls were defined but still soft, and messing with it further would just frizz it up. 

He was rather proud of the suit he had picked to wear for the wedding. It was a deep purple with a Japanese style floral pattern over both the pants and the jacket, the material a velvety satin. He had a plain black button down shirt underneath it and shiny black boots peeking out under the hem of his slightly flared pants. To top it off, he had painted his fingernails a combination of dark purple and black to match. He loved the outfit, he just hoped it wouldn’t be too much. 

Thankfully a knock came at the door before Harry could second guess what he was wearing any further. He slipped his wallet and phone into his pants and headed over to pull open the door. 

Harry wasn’t rendered speechless often but for once he was. 

Louis looked absolutely stunning. He was wearing a sleek navy suit that was perfectly tailored to his lithe yet muscular frame. He had a simple white button down peeking out underneath and a pair of brown leather oxfords on his feet. There was a pair of expensive looking sunglasses perched on his nose and he had somehow swept his soft chestnut hair back into a perfect yet relaxed looking coif. He looked like he just popped out of a Burberry ad, and Harry’s stomach swooped. 

He quickly realized he was staring when Louis raised an eyebrow questioningly. He popped his mouth shut and gave himself a mental shake. 

“Wow, you look...great,” Harry breathed, then mentally cursed himself for sounding so dopey. “I mean, you know, um. Nice suit,” Harry fumbled, feeling himself blush. 

“Thanks love,” Louis smiled and looked Harry up and down, which made him feel even hotter under the collar. “You look amazing, Haz.” 

“Oh, thanks,” Harry mumbled. “It’s not too much?” He gestured at the floral print. “I can always change.” 

“You’re always perfect,” Louis said, and it sounded like he meant it. “And the suit is wonderful, I love it. Don’t even think about changing. You ready to go darling?” 

Harry's stomach gave another twist at  _ darling.  _ He really needed to get himself together.  _ You’re just friends, remember?  _ He tried to remind himself. 

“I’m ready,” Harry nodded, stepping out and locking the door. Louis led him over to his car with a hand on Harry’s back. 

Liam and Zayn were waiting out front of Louis’ house, since they were all driving to the wedding together. They also looked great in their suits, and Liam had an arm slung Zayn’s waist, holding him protectively close to his side. They really were such a cute couple, Harry had to admit.

Harry sat up front next to Louis at the wheel and Liam and Zayn took the back. Liam slid into the middle seat so he could sit with his arm still around Zayn’s shoulder and Harry shared a conspiratorial look with Louis. Louis mouthed “gross” to him with a wink and Harry smothered a giggle into the palm of his hand. 

Even though the drive into the city was two hours, it seemed to go a lot quicker than that. Of course, Harry often found time passing disconcertingly fast when he was with Louis. The four of them argued about the music a bit until they finally just settled on the radio, Liam looking put out when no one wanted to hear his current favorite rapper. Zayn kissed his cheek quickly, however, and that seemed to cheer his spirits quite easily. Louis kept his sunglasses on and probably drove a little too fast but Harry was too happy to care, sneaking glances at Louis’ profile out of the corner of his eye. Louis really did look so incredibly hot. It was completely unfair. 

Harry sucked in a breath of awe when they finally pulled up to the venue on the outskirts of New York City. It was a giant colonial mansion surrounded by what must be acres of impeccably maintained gardens and fountains. 

“So Nick is rich,” Harry deadpanned as Louis pulled into a parking spot. 

Louis laughed. “A bit, yeah. He’s also not one for understatements, really.” 

“Clearly,” Harry raised an eyebrow. 

The hall where the ceremony was taking place was even more gorgeous than the outside, if that was even possible. A high, coffered ceiling gave the space an open, majestic feeling, and the walls were lined with pillars. At the front of the room was a floral wedding arch filled with white flowers and pink roses. There were other, giant, white floral arrangements scattered throughout the room, and golden lanterns lined the aisle. A huge number of white chairs were set up, clearly this was an enormous wedding. 

The four of them took their seats somewhere in the middle, Louis settling in next to Harry. As Harry looked around at the other wedding attendees, he noted the vibrant mix of hair colors, outfits, and tattoos that people had. Clearly he hadn’t needed to worry about being the only one here who liked a bit of flair. 

A string quartet played beautiful music until the wedding began, both grooms taking the stage. Louis whispered to Harry who Nick was, the lanky brunette with impressively tall hair, and his fiancé, Mesh. The grooms smiled at each other while the officiant gave his speech, their eyes locked on each other. 

Harry always liked weddings, but they didn’t usually make him all that emotional. He thought this one would be the same, until the grooms gave their vows. 

“Mesh. My love, my rock,” Nick’s voice rang out clear in the room as he held hands with his future husband. It looked like neither of them could see anyone else in the room. “As you know, I never was the biggest fan of marriage,” he smiled, and hearty laughs coursed through the audience. “And yet here I am, now. And I couldn’t be happier.

“There is so much I have learned about love from being with you. I’ve learned what it’s like to have a true partner in life, someone to share every experience with – big and small, good, and not-so-good. I’ve learned what it means to let my walls down, to really let someone in for the first time in my entire life. And most of all I’ve learned what it feels like to meet and fall for your soulmate, because you’re mine.” 

Harry sniffled softly, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. Louis glanced over at him and nudged his leg gently with his own.  _ You ok?  _ He mouthed, and Harry nodded, running a hand quickly under his eyes. Louis reached over and clasped Harry’s hand in his own, and it settled him immediately, the way Louis’ touch always did. 

“Real love isn’t just weddings and pictures on Instagram – although we do have some great ones on there, I will say,” Nick continued, and another laugh rumbled through the audience. “Real love is all those moments in between. It’s Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings and those times when we’re just  _ together _ , and that’s all that matters. I never realized how whole my life could feel until I met you. And I can say without a doubt, that you are my very best friend and my one true love. 

“So Meshach Henry, I’m ready for a lifetime of love with you. There’s no one else I’d rather be here with. I love you, and promise you, I always, always will.” 

More tears slipped down Harry’s face as Nick finished his vows and slipped a ring on Mesh’s finger. He had no idea why Nick’s speech had affected him so much, but something inside Harry’s heart felt like it had cracked open. A confusing mix of emotions was swirling in his chest – happiness, sadness, longing. All he knew is that he wanted that kind of love too, wanted that kind of surety, and it felt so close and yet so far away at the same time. 

Harry managed to collect himself by the end of the ceremony, cheering with everyone else as the grooms made their way back down the aisle, hands interlaced and huge smiles plastered on their faces.

Louis had been throwing him concerned looks throughout the ceremony but Harry just put on a smile of his own, even if it felt a little less than genuine. “That was a beautiful ceremony, wasn’t it?” he said to Louis, trying to sound casual. 

Louis frowned at him a little. “Yeah it was, but are you okay, love?” 

“Fine, fine,” Harry brushed him off, then leaned over to catch Liam and Zayn’s attention. “Time to get drinks, yeah?” 

Harry probably drank a little more than he should have during the cocktail hour, but he needed something to distract from the heavy ache in his chest and the suspicious way Louis was still looking at him. So he had two glasses of champagne and mingled with the crowd, letting Louis and Zayn introduce him and Liam to their many acquaintances. Harry focused on being as friendly and lively as he could, determined to have a good time. 

The reception was held under a large white tent on the lawn outside. An array of circular tables with white tablecloths were spread throughout, and there was a large polished wood dance floor in the middle. More beautiful floral bouquets and candles added extra decoration all around, and the softly setting sun provided a beautiful warm light to everything. 

The four of them were at a table with two other couples, one of whom Louis introduced as his good friends Lou, Tom, and their daughter, Lux. The others were a fun pair who apparently were from Nick’s radio circuit. 

Dinner and toasts passed quickly and enjoyably, the whole table laughing and getting along easily. When the floor opened up for dancing after the grooms’ first dance, Louis tugged on Harry’s hand, pulling him up out of his chair. 

“C’mon I want to introduce you to Nick,” Louis said, eyes shining bright with energy and the champagne he’d had. It really was amazing how easily Louis had entertained their table, making everyone crack up laughing with witty jokes and commentary. Harry had been content to just be at his side, admiring him and his infectious energy. It was a bit like staring into the sun. 

Harry fussed with his hair as Louis pulled him over to where Nick was. He wasn’t sure if Louis picked up on his nervous energy or it was just coincidence, but he held his hand a little tighter. 

“Tomlinson!” Nick cried when he spotted Louis, pulling him in for a tight hug. “So glad you could make it, mate. What did you think?” 

“I think you’re completely in love and it’s totally unfair,” Louis said, grinning widely. “Congratulations, mate. You deserve it.” 

Nick beamed back at him and shifted his focus over to Harry. Louis slipped an arm around Harry’s waist, pulling him to his side. 

“Nick, this is Harry,” Louis introduced, and Nick’s eyebrows shot up. 

“This is Harry,” he repeated. “Well, now everything makes sense,” he took a sip of champagne, shooting Louis a look that Harry couldn’t decipher. 

“Don’t,” Louis said quietly, and he and Nick shared a long look before Nick rolled his eyes and stuck out his hand to Harry. 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Nick as I’m sure you already know.” He eyed Harry up and down with an appreciative whistle. “I love that suit, where’s it from?” 

“Oh, thank you, it’s vintage,” Harry shook his hand and smoothed down the lapels on his jacket nervously. “I loved the ceremony, it was gorgeous.”

“It was,” Nick smiled and then looked over at where Mesh was across the room, talking to a group of people. A lovesick look softened his sharp features. “I’m a lucky man.” 

“Ugh you’re disgusting and I hate you,” Louis laughed, clapping Nick on the back. “Go be with your one true love, or whatever. Harry and I need another drink.” 

Nick laughed too. “Thanks again for coming, Tommo. Means a lot. And it’s nice to finally meet you, Harry.” 

Nick swept off to no doubt make out with his husband by the look on his face, and Louis led Harry over to the bar. 

“What was that all about?” Harry asked curiously. 

“Oh, nothing,” Louis said breezily, waving a hand to dismiss it. He was flushed, Harry noticed. “What do you want, another champagne, love?” 

Harry nodded and Louis elbowed his way up to the front of the crowd at the bar, somehow managing to get the bartender's attention straight away in that commanding way he always had. 

Harry watched him, biting his lip. He knew there was something he was missing, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. But he pushed the question out of his mind when Louis returned with a flute of champagne for Harry and a whiskey for himself, and the two of them joined Liam and Zayn out on the dancefloor. 

A while later, after the cake cutting, a rather spirited rendition of the Macarena and YMCA, Harry sunk into his chair back at their table. He watched the throng of people out on the dancefloor idly, taking a few slow sips of water. 

Usually he loved weddings and parties, and meeting new people. But something just felt  _ off  _ tonight, and he just couldn’t get into the festivities the way he usually would. His eyes caught on Louis who was dancing animatedly with a group of people, a carefree smile on his face. At least he was having a good time. Harry drank more water and tried to not look as broody as he felt. 

Liam, hand in hand with Zayn, joined him at the table not too much later. The top two buttons of Liam’s shirt were undone and Zayn’s hair looked distinctly more ruffled than it had at the beginning of the night, giving Harry a pretty good idea that they were enjoying the night just fine. 

“Why the long face, Haz?” Liam asked, taking the seat next to him and nudging his shoulder against his. “You look like you’re a funeral, not a wedding.” 

“Oh no, I’m fine!” Harry tried to protest, but Liam just gave him a flat look. 

“You do look quite sad, ‘arry,” Zayn said in his usual quiet voice, gazing at Harry with sympathetic eyes. 

Harry felt almost like he could cry, and he had no idea why. He took a steadying breath, trying to quell the rising tide of emotions in his chest. “I dunno, just an off night I guess,” Harry sighed, looking down at his nail polish. “Don’t worry about me, go have fun or whatever.” 

Liam opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Louis. He was pink cheeked and his hair was messy from dancing, looking as effortlessly gorgeous as ever. He had tiny Lux on his hip, one of her small arms clasped around his neck. 

“Why aren’t you lot dancing?” Louis asked, frowning at them. He leaned into Lux’s ear and gave a faux-quiet whisper. “They’re party poopers,” he said conspiratorially, and stuck out a tongue at her. She gave a delighted giggle. Louis kissed her cheek, looking all sorts of fond. 

Harry felt his eyes flood with tears and he pushed up roughly from the table, ignoring Louis’ shocked look and rushed out of the tent. He didn’t know where he was going; he just knew he had to get away from it all, away from the vice on his heart, away from Louis. 

He ran into the garden until the sounds of the party were just echoes in the distance and he sunk onto a bench, not bothering to wipe away the hot tears tracking down his cheeks. He buried his head in his hands, and just sobbed. 

“God, there you are,” came Liam’s soft, familiar voice some time later, and Harry finally looked up from his hands to see Liam slide in next to him on the bench. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. We were all so worried.” He slung an arm around Harry’s shoulders and Harry sunk into his best friend’s side easily, finally feeling some sort of relief from the flood of emotions. 

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” Harry hiccuped into Liam’s chest. “I don’t know why I’m crying.” 

Liam was quiet for a moment, rubbing a hand over Harry’s shoulder soothingly. After what seemed like a long thought, he spoke. 

“Sorry Haz, but that’s bullshit.” 

“What?” Harry sat up quickly, shocked. Liam hardly ever swore, and never when Harry was upset. “What’s bullshit?” 

“You know why you’re crying,” Liam looked at him levelly, holding his gaze.

Harry fish-mouthed for a few seconds. There was a sudden rushing in his ears, and he felt a bit like he was about to fall off a cliff.

“I don’t,” he protested weakly, and it sounded like a lie even to him. 

Liam just sighed. “C’mon Harry, are you really going to make me say it? It’s Louis. You’re in love with Louis.” 

The moment Liam said the words out loud, Harry felt the shock of it hit him full force. There was no hiding this time. It was the truth, plain and simple. He couldn’t deny it even if he tried.

He loved Louis...and he was terrified. 

Harry pressed his palms to his eyes so hard that sparks of light danced behind his eyelids. He breathed out hard, swallowing back another wave of tears. 

Liam resumed rubbing his shoulders and Harry could feel his gaze on him. “Why are you scared of how you feel, Harry?” Liam murmured. “He obviously feels the same way about you.” 

Harry dropped his hands from his eyes and stared at Liam. “You think he does?” 

“Haz, it’s completely obvious,” Liam rolled his eyes. “Zayn’s been worried that Louis will never find a proper relationship because he’s so hung up on you.” 

Harry picked at his nail polish, thinking. It was hard to deny that Louis did pay a lot of attention to him, more than he even did with Zayn. But Harry had been too afraid to think about what it all meant. 

“I don’t know if I’m ready, Li,” Harry exhaled, gazing out across the softly lit gardens. “What if it’s like last time? I can’t do it again. Maybe we’re better off as friends.” 

“Harry…” Liam sighed again. “I know you were hurt, badly. I was there. And I never want to see you go through that again, ever. But Louis is  _ nothing  _ like Adrian. And more importantly,  _ you’re  _ nothing like the person you were back when you were with Adrian. 

“You’re independent. You’re strong. You know what you want and you don’t let yourself get taken advantage of anymore. You’ve grown, Harry. So why are you making yourself miserable when it’s so clear to all of us that you and Louis are meant to be together?” 

Suddenly, it was all so, so, obvious. 

“You’re right,” Harry said, looking up at Liam. For the first time in months, everything was finally making sense. “I do love him, Li.” 

“I know you do,” Liam agreed sympathetically. 

“I didn’t need to be scared, did I? Louis is nothing like... _ anyone _ I’ve met before, really. And you’re right, I’ve changed. I won’t ever lose myself like that again.” Harry tipped his head back and gazed at the inky black sky filled with stars, letting out a long breath. “But Li, I don’t think I can be just friends with him anymore. It hurts too much.” 

“So tell him that,” Liam urged gently. “Tell him the truth, Harry. All of it. You owe him, and yourself, that much.” 

Harry nodded in agreement, and a flurry of nervous butterflies rose in his stomach. He knew what he needed to do, now, it was just  _ doing it  _ that was scary. 

“Thanks Li,” Harry hugged him tight. “You’re such a great friend.” 

“Anytime, Haz,” Liam squeezed him back. “Now, are you coming back? Louis was really worried about you.” 

Harry’s stomach twisted sharply but he nodded anyway, and followed Liam back to the party.

Louis rushed over to his side as soon as he spotted him. “Harry, love! Are you alright? What’s wrong?” He took a closer look at him. “Oh darling, have you been crying?” 

Harry hastily ran a hand over of his face, but his swollen eyes were probably a dead giveaway. “Um, can I talk to you, Lou?” he asked quietly, gesturing his head away from the crowd. Liam and Zayn were watching the two of them openly. 

“Of course, love,” Louis frowned, and put a hand on Harry’s shoulder. Harry smiled half-heartedly and he and Louis stepped out into the night. Harry led them a few paces away until they were alone. Harry swore his heart was beating so loud that Louis must have heard it. 

Louis rubbed circles on his back, looking at Harry’s questioningly. The moonlight made his eyes shine a pearly blue. Harry took a steading breath. 

“I think I’ve realized something?” Harry started hesitantly, then shook his head. “No, I  _ know _ I’ve realized something,” he repeated, more firmly. “And it took this wedding for me to face it, but now I know and I can’t go back.” 

Louis looked confused but he didn’t interrupt, and Harry plowed on before he could lose steam. 

“When Nick was saying all that stuff about being with his best friend and real love, I just. I realized, I want that. And um, when you were holding Lux, I knew that it was you, Louis. I don’t want to just be friends. You’re perfect. I want love, kids, all of that. And I want it with you.” 

Louis’ mouth dropped open. Harry looked away, willing himself to continue. “I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out. You know I was hurt before, but I know now that I didn’t need to be scared. You’re the only person I want to be with.” Harry huffed out a breath, still unable to meet Louis’ eyes, afraid of what he might see there. “And I totally understand if you don’t, like, want that, with me or whatever, I just can’t–” 

“I do,” Louis interrupted him. “Harry, look at me,” he said, tipping Harry’s face up toward his with a finger. Harry reluctantly met his eyes. “Harry, I do want that. You. I want you.” 

“You do?” Harry breathed. His heart was hammering. 

“Fuck, Harry I’ve loved you since the minute I met you,” Louis’ gaze was electric. “I’ve been head over heels for you the whole time. I just thought you didn’t want that.” 

Harry could’ve sworn the ground was tilting. “I, um...I did? I just didn’t know it yet. Sorry?” 

“God you’re such an idiot,” Louis laughed. “Come here.” 

Louis cupped his face and pressed his lips to Harry’s. 

Harry had been kissed before but never like this. His whole body filled with warmth as Louis kissed him, and it felt like he was floating. Nothing had ever been more perfect. He never wanted it to end. 

They kissed for several long, slow minutes, bodies pressed close together against the chilly night air. 

“Why haven’t we been doing that all along?” Harry breathed shakily when they finally broke apart. 

Louis rested his forehead against his. “I have no fucking clue.” 

“I love you,” Harry said. “Sorry if that’s weird to say, or whatever. But I do. I love you.” 

“I love you too, darling,” Louis smiled the widest Harry had ever seen. “So, so much.” 

Harry leaned forward and kissed Louis again. Harry couldn’t imagine feeling happier, it was almost as if he were in a dream. But the reality of Louis’ hands on his waist, his face only inches from his, his mouth flushed pink from Harry’s lips, was even more wonderful than any dream. 

They held each other for a long time, letting the music from the party drift over them and the cool breeze run through their hair, but Harry felt like they were in their own world. He hadn’t realized how much he had wanted this, how much he had been denying how he felt. It all seemed so silly now that he was in Louis’ arms. He never wanted to be anywhere else. 

“I suppose we should go back at some point,” Louis whispered some time later, looking up at Harry and running a thumb tenderly along his jaw. 

Harry sighed and hugged Louis closer. “Do we have to?” he mumbled, burying his head in Louis’ shoulder. “Just want to be with you, Lou.” 

“Darling, you always have me,” Louis murmured, taking one of Harry’s hands in his own. He kissed the tips of his fingers and then interlaced their hands together. “You need to know that, okay? You always have me.” 

Harry could feel the faint thrum of Louis’ pulse from where their palms were pressed together. That, and the steadiness in Louis’ crystal blue eyes immediately settled the anxiety that had been threatening to creep in Harry’s stomach. 

“Okay, Lou,” he agreed, and Louis kissed him one more time before leading them both back over to the tent. 

Liam and Zayn’s eyebrows rose in unison when they spotted the two of them walking over holding hands. 

“Everything’s okay,” Louis announced. He turned and smiled at Harry, then pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “Actually, more than okay.” 

“Oh my god,  _ finally _ ,” Liam said, a wide smile splitting his face. 

“Cheers, lads,” Zayn tipped his champagne glass in their direction, and he was grinning too. “Glad to see you both got your heads out of your arses.” 

“We were being dumb,” Harry agreed. “Well, I was, really,” he added with a slight frown. 

“It’s alright, love,” Louis soothed immediately, squeezing his hand. “All that matters is we’re together now.” 

Harry blushed and smiled at Louis, feeling lovestruck all over again.

“Oh no, they’re going to be even more gross now,” Liam joked, rolling his eyes at Zayn, who smirked. 

“You have no place to judge, Liam,” Louis retorted. “Or shall I repeat what you were calling Zayn the other day?” he raised an eyebrow. 

It was Zayn’s turn to flush a deep red, and Liam’s cheeks pinked up as well. “Fair point,” Liam coughed, shifting on his feet. “Let’s all enjoy the party now, shall we?” 

The four of them traipsed out to the dancefloor, Louis and Harry still hand in hand and Zayn and Liam with their arms wrapped around each other’s waists. It felt as though everything had somehow slipped perfectly into place. 


	6. Chapter 6

Louis groaned and rolled over, instinctively nestling into the warm body pressed against his. He snuggled down deeper under the duvet and buried his nose into Harry’s hair. He smelled like cherry blossom shampoo and his usual soft, sweet omega scent. Louis took a deep inhale, nuzzling in even closer. 

Harry mumbled something incoherent and rolled over to face Louis. His eyes fluttered open to reveal the vibrant green that Louis loved so much. Louis kissed the top of his nose, and Harry laughed. 

“Were you smelling me?” Harry’s voice was even deeper than usual and gravelly with sleep. Louis kissed him again. 

“Maybe,” Louis smiled, admiring the way Harry’s eyelashes caught the morning light. “You just smell so good baby.” 

Harry buried his face in Louis’ t-shirt and inhaled. “So do you, Lou,” he murmured. Louis wrapped an arm around him to pull him closer. 

Louis felt the familiar surge of happiness and protectiveness he always felt at being able to wake up with Harry, at getting to see him when he was most relaxed and vulnerable from sleepiness. Harry always looked beautiful to Louis, but something about his sleep mussed hair and soft morning smile, dimples just starting to peek out, always drove him crazy. 

“I love you,” Louis brushed some slightly frizzed curls off Harry’s forehead, tucked them carefully behind his ear. “You know that?” 

“I know. I love you more.”

Louis' heart felt like it might swell out of his chest. He still couldn’t believe how much he felt for Harry. Even though it had only been six months since they kissed and officially got together, it really felt like he had been with Harry for a lifetime. They fit together so well that it still surprised Louis everyday. 

Louis kissed Harry’s temple, then his lips, and relaxed against his pillow. “Mm, want tea,” he murmured, closing his eyes and making no effort to move. 

“You always want tea,” Harry laughed, running a hand along Louis’ side. Harry rested his head next to Louis’ and Louis admired the tiny freckles across Harry’s nose that were only visible up close. 

“That’s because tea is the most important thing,” Louis protested. “Besides you, of course.” 

Harry dimpled. “Glad to know I can beat Yorkshire tea.” 

“Mm, barely,” Louis chuckled, then cooed when Harry pouted dramatically. “Aww, just kidding, sweetheart. I love you much more.” 

“Good,” Harry smiled happily. Then he brushed his lips against Louis’ and threw back the covers, sliding out of bed. He was naked, and Louis openly admired the lovely, pale expanse of his body. 

“Where are you going love?” Louis complained. “It’s Saturday, we deserve a lie-in.” 

“Making your tea, as usual,” Harry rolled his eyes and pulled on a pair of baby blue briefs and one of his favorite band t-shirts. He wandered over to the mirror and fussed with his hair, calling back to Louis across the room. “Since I know you’ll never get up without it.” 

“God I am a lucky alpha,” Louis groaned, still admiring Harry. “Tea every morning  _ and  _ an absolutely gorgeous omega in my bed? What did I do to deserve this life of luxury?” 

Harry giggled, pulling his hair up into a top bun and padding back over to the bed. His cheeks were pink, the way they always were when Louis called him gorgeous. Which was exactly why Louis was never going to stop reminding him just how beautiful he was. 

“I’m lucky too,” Harry smiled down at Louis still in the bed. “I think I might have mentioned that once or twice, last night,” he bit his lip, blushing harder. 

After some amazing sex last night, during which Louis had made Harry come apart more than once, Harry had easily slipped into omega space. Louis had spent the rest of the night doting on Harry, giving him a full body massage and making sure he had lots of fruit, water, and tea to recover his energy. Louis honestly loved taking care of Harry, especially when he was in the sweet, trusting haze of omega space. Harry had kept rambling about what a lucky omega he was all night, and Louis had found it completely adorable. 

“You were perfect. You  _ are _ perfect,” Louis assured, reaching out and squeezing Harry’s hand. “You were so good, darling.” 

Harry smiled again, a little shyly, and Louis pressed Harry’s palm to his lips. 

Harry padded off toward their kitchen (well, technically it was still Louis’ house, but Harry was there so often Louis considered it his too), and Louis picked up his phone to scroll through Twitter. 

Harry returned a few minutes later with two mugs and a plate of fresh fruit and toast. Louis took the mugs from him so Harry could slide back in bed next to him, both of them propping themselves up against the headboard with pillows. 

They ate in companionable silence, Louis sighing when he got a sip of the perfectly made tea. “Thank you, baby,” he said around a bite of toast, nudging his shoulders against Harry’s. “Nothing quite like brekky in bed is there?” 

“Nope,” Harry agreed, popping the ‘p’. He looked thoughtful and Louis raised an eyebrow at him in a silent question. “Oh I was just thinking about whether we would let our kids eat in bed with us or not.” 

Louis wasn’t even surprised at the mention of their future kids. Maybe it was early to be discussing such things, but they both knew they wanted kids and were more than ready to start a family together, once they got married. Louis knew without a doubt that there was no one else he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, and his heart soared at the thought of their own kids climbing into bed with them, maybe with green eyes and curly hair like Harry. 

Louis kissed Harry’s cheek, and Harry made a face at the toast crumbs he left behind. Louis laughed, then considered the thought. “Hmm, probably for special occasions?” Louis mused. “Like birthdays, and such. But kids make an awful mess.” 

“Yeah, I know, I teach kindergarten Lou,” Harry chuckled, and Louis smiled fondly. Most days, Harry came home from work covered in glue, paint, or glitter. 

After he felt sufficiently caffeinated and awake, Louis lost interest in his breakfast in favor of nestling his body in close to Harry’s and kissing down the long line of pale skin of Harry’s neck. 

Harry shivered and Louis responded by sucking a little at the sensitive spot behind Harry’s ear. He could feel Harry’s body responding to the touch, and Louis shifted to rest a leg between Harry’s thighs, pressing his weight on top of him. 

Harry’s breath hitched. “Lou...we can’t,” Harry breathed out, clearly already more than a little distracted. “We have Niall’s thing today, remember?” 

“Hm, yes I remember,” Louis murmured, slipping his hands under Harry’s t-shirt and caressing the soft skin on Harry’s hips. “But I do believe we have some time to spare, sweetheart.” 

Harry shuddered as Louis pressed an open mouth kiss to one of his nipples, argument dying from his lips. 

This, Louis would always find time for. 

♡♡♡

A couple of hours later Louis squinted against the bright sun as he looked out across the golf course, trying to spot Niall. 

“Here, babe,” Harry slipped the sunglasses he had perched on top of his head off, letting his curls fall to frame his face. He offered the glasses to Louis. 

Louis glanced at them and frowned. “But love, you’ll need them? I don’t want you getting a headache.” 

“I’ll be okay,” Harry promised, and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. Louis turned his head so that Harry’s lips ended brushing against his own instead. 

“You guys are gross,” Zayn interrupted from beside them, rolling his eyes and Louis sent him a light kick to the shin for that. “Seriously.” 

“Look who’s talking,” Louis retorted, nodding pointedly. Liam had himself draped around Zayn’s shoulders as usual, their bodies pressed almost flush together. The two were practically glued at the hip these days. Liam looked sheepish but didn’t move. 

“We’re all gross,” Harry added, and Louis had to admit there might be some truth to that. “Oh, look they’re here!” He raised a hand to wave as two figures approached. 

Harry’s mom Anne and his sister Gemma made their way to them across the green expanse of the golf course. Gemma looked as effortlessly cool as she always did, with her long hair and a funky patterned dress. 

Harry’s family had come, like the rest of them, to support Niall at his tournament. Niall had been taking his golf game a lot more seriously over the past few months, and today he was playing his first semi-pro tournament. Harry, Liam, Zayn, and Louis had come out to support him, along with Anne and Gemma because Niall was basically family by this point, Harry explained. 

Louis had met Harry’s family pretty soon after the two of them officially started dating, since they lived nearby and Harry was so excited for them to meet. Louis had been slightly nervous, but he didn’t need to be. Anne, Gemma, and Robin accepted him into the fold almost immediately. 

“Hi honey, how are you?” Anne greeted Harry with a dazzling smile not unlike his own, pulling him for a tight hug. “Did you remember to take your allergy medicine? You know the grass always bothers you.”

“Hi Mom, and yes Louis made sure I took them,” Harry rolled his eyes and kissed her cheek and then turned to hug Gemma. “You guys find the place alright?” 

“Yes we did, dear. Hi, boys,” Anne answered, greeting the rest of them. She gestured Louis in for a hug. “Come here, Louis.” 

Louis hugged her and then Gemma. “Glad you could make it.” 

“Couldn’t miss Niall’s first tournament, could we?” Gemma piped up, scanning the course from the sidelines where they stood. It was a prestigious tournament but still relatively small, so they were with a small number of people milling about on a roped-off area of the course. “Oh there he is!” she pointed. 

Niall was walking up to the first tee, looking every bit a pro golfer in his pressed pants and expensive-looking polo shirt. He even had his own caddie trailing behind him and carting his clubs. Niall spotted them and broke out in a huge grin, waving. They all cheered and waved back, which earned them a few admonishing looks from the other, more reserved people around. 

“Oops,” Harry giggled, hiding his face in Louis’ neck. Louis slipped an arm around his waist to pull him close. “We’re not proper enough.” 

“Nah, they’re just boring,” Louis whispered into his ear and Harry giggled some more. 

They did try to tamp down on their boisterous cheering and applause as the tournament progressed, although they still ended up being the loudest group of supporters by far. Niall was playing a great game, acing his shots, and they were all brimming with pride. 

Niall caught up to them after the tournament ended, glowing with happiness at his third-place finish. They all enveloped him in a round of hugs, congratulating him on his excellent game.

“Anne, Gemma, thank you so much for coming out,” Niall beamed, and Anne patted his cheek fondly. 

“Of course, Niall dear, we wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said. 

They stayed for a group lunch at the restaurant attached to the course’s clubhouse, setting up at a long table on the outside terrace. It was nearing October but the weather was still nice, not too hot or cold and with a light breeze swirling around them. 

It felt like they were all a big family, laughing, and talking, and stealing bites of food from each other’s plates. Louis would never have imagined when he moved to Park Hill that he would find a group of people that he felt so close to in such a short amount of time. He honestly didn’t know how he had lived his life without them. 

Harry nudged his foot against his under the table, catching Louis eyes when he turned to him. “You okay, Lou? You’re quiet,” Harry murmured lowly enough for only Louis to hear, eyebrows pulled together in concern. 

Louis ran a soothing thumb over his jaw and kissed him. “I’m fine, love. Just happy, that’s all,” he smiled, rubbing Harry’s back. “I love you.” 

The worry dropped from Harry’s face and he smiled back. “I love you too,” he whispered. Louis didn’t think he would ever get tired of hearing or saying those words to the beautiful boy next to him. 

They all ate a slow and leisurely lunch, enjoying the day and the company. Louis slipped off to the restrooms at one point and ran into Anne on his way back to the table. 

“Louis, I wanted to talk to you,” Anne said, stopping him with a hand at the elbow. 

“Oh, is everything alright?” Louis frowned. He immediately looked over to Harry, who was still seated at the table. 

“Harry’s fine,” Anne smiled, catching his concern. “Nothing like that.” She gestured Louis over to a private corner, out of view from the table. Louis was completely bewildered as to what this could be about, so he stayed quiet, letting her continue. 

“I just wanted to tell you how good you’ve been for Harry,” she said, her eyes warm. “I’ve never seen him this happy, ever. You truly do love him and look after him, and you are a part of our family now, Louis.” 

Louis smiled at her words. “Anne, your son is wonderful. I’m so lucky to have him, honestly. I’d do anything for him.” 

“I know you would,” Anne nodded, and then leaned closer, lowering her voice. “And I just wanted to say, that whenever you two are ready to take the next step, you have my full blessing. I can’t imagine a better man for my son.” 

Louis’ heart filled with warmth and he swallowed against a wave of emotion. “You have no idea how much that means to hear that.” 

“I don’t say it lightly,” Anne squeezed his shoulder. “I would be happy to call you my son-in-law, Louis.” 

“Thank you so much, Anne,” Louis pulled her in for a hug. “It may be sooner rather than later,” he admitted honestly. 

“I had a feeling it might,” Anne winked. “Now let’s get back out there before he starts getting suspicious. 

As they returned to the table and Louis slid into his seat next to Harry, linking their fingers together, a plan was already forming in his mind. 

♡♡♡

“Wow, Louis this place is incredible,” Harry breathed as he entered the restaurant, staring around in awe. 

Louis had taken Harry by surprise by announcing earlier that he had reservations for dinner that night. Harry had just thought it would be one of their regular places, low-key and casual, but this was something else. 

The restaurant, an Indian fusion place, had high, elegant ceilings that were hung with beautiful cascading garlands of greenery. There were only a small number of tables inside, a soft hum of conversation filling the room among the sound of the piano being played in the corner. The lighting was dim and romantic, lanterns lining the walls softly flickering. It was clearly a highly exclusive sort of place. 

“Can we afford this?” Harry whispered into Louis’ ear as the  maître d ' led them to their table. Louis certainly made more money than Harry did on his public school teacher salary, but this was much more extravagant than their usual date nights. 

Louis chuckled and slung an arm around Harry’s waist. “It’s fine love, I promise. My treat, don’t worry about it.” He kissed Harry’s cheek. 

At the table, Louis pulled out Harry’s chair for him like a proper gentleman, and Harry blushed a little. He glanced down at his sparkly blue shirt with a large bow in the front, suddenly feeling very underdressed. 

“You look perfect, darling,” Louis assured him, taking the place opposite and reaching for Harry’s hand across the table. 

“How do you do that?” Harry frowned. 

“Do what?” Louis rubbed his thumb over the back of Harry’s hand, tilting his head. 

“You just know me so well,” Harry mused, relaxing into Louis’ touch as he always did. He could practically feel the anxiety drain from his body. “It’s almost like you’re telepathic.” 

“You know me, too,” Louis pointed out. “But it’s true, we’re definitely...in sync. I don’t know, I’ve heard of that happening between alphas and omegas before? If they’re really close?” 

“Isn’t that like, for soulmates?” Harry said slowly. “Do you think we could be…?” 

Louis fidgeted in his chair, and Harry realized with a jolt that he couldn’t just see Louis’ sudden flash of nervousness, he could actually  _ feel  _ it. 

“I think we could be, yeah,” Louis admitted, gazing levelly at Harry. “But it’s okay if you don’t feel the same.” 

Harry didn’t even need time to consider it, he already knew how he felt. “I think we are too,” he murmured. “The connection I have with you, I’ve never felt it before. I love you so much, Lou...I do think we’re soulmates, yeah.”

Louis broke into a wide grin, and Harry couldn’t help sharing his joy.

“You look so good tonight,” Harry said, admiring Louis’ all-black ensemble – black shirt under a fitted suit jacket. His hair was swept up in that fluffy, messy way that drove Harry crazy, and the scruff lining his jaw only made him more attractive. 

“No, you’re gorgeous,” Louis shook his head, eyes flicking to Harry’s lips and then back up. “Seriously, baby, you have no idea how beautiful you are.” 

Harry felt himself blush, and Louis nudged his knee against his under the table, smiling fondly. 

They broke out of their bubble when a waiter approached their table and started introducing the specials. Harry had almost forgotten they were in a restaurant. Being with Louis was so all-consuming sometimes, but only in the very best way. 

Dinner was delicious. Louis ordered for them, after checking with Harry that was okay, and they shared three different dishes that were an exciting combination of flavors and textures. They also made their way through a bottle of wine, and shared a piece of tiramisu after dinner. 

Harry leaned back in his seat with a hand on his stomach. He felt pleasantly full, warm and happy from the food, wine, and being with Louis. 

“This was amazing, Lou. Thank you,” Harry leaned across the table so he could kiss Louis quickly. “I feel so special.” 

“You are special, darling,” Louis squeezed his hand. “But the night’s not quite over yet, love. I have one more thing I want to show you.” 

Harry’s eyebrows rose in surprise. He couldn’t imagine anything more amazing than this date, and had no idea what Louis had planned. “What is it?” 

“It’s a surprise,” Louis winked, standing from the table and holding out his hand. “C’mon, I’ll show you.” 

Harry was curious, but not nervous, because he trusted Louis completely. He let Louis lead him out the back door of the restaurant, opposite the way they had come in. 

Stepping outside revealed a massive terrace and garden behind the restaurant, which was softly lit with fairy lights. It looked like there would usually be seating out here but no one was dining outside tonight. 

Harry did notice a crowd of people standing by a fountain in the center of the garden, where Louis was leading them. His jaw dropped when he saw who it was. 

“Mom? Robin? Guys? What are you all doing here?” Harry looked around in shock. His mom, Robin, Gemma, Liam, Zayn, and Niall were all grouped together. They were all smiling and holding candles that were flickering against the night, but no one said anything. “What’s going on? Lou?” 

He turned to ask Louis, and when he did, Louis was kneeling on one knee. 

Harry gasped, eyes already filling with tears, and clapped his hands over his mouth. “Louis?” he whispered. His heart was pounding.

“Harry,” Louis gazed up at him, and his bright blue eyes were shining. “Darling, I have loved you since the very day I met you. I think I knew then what I know for sure now, that you are my soulmate, in every possible sense. I can’t even believe how much you’ve changed my life, how much I love you. You are the kindest, most thoughtful, giving, intelligent, and beautiful person I’ve ever known, inside and out.” 

Louis reached into his pocket and pulled out a box and flipped open the top. A beautiful diamond ring glimmered in the candlelight. Harry could feel the tears wetting his cheeks, and his eyes were glued on Louis. 

“I know, without even an ounce of doubt in my mind, that you are the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with. So, Harry Edward Styles, will you marry me?” 

Time stood still, and Harry knew he would never forget this moment as long as he lived. 

“Yes. A million times yes,” Harry choked out, and a cheer rose from his family and friends surrounding them. Louis slipped the ring on his finger, and Harry legitimately felt like his knees might give out. 

Louis got to his feet and pulled Harry into a swift kiss. Louis’ face was wet with tears as well. “I love you so much,” Harry breathed out. “Oh my god. We’re getting married.” 

“We’re getting married, baby,” Louis beamed through his tears, and kissed him again. “I love you more than anything.” 

The next few moments were a blur of hugs, congratulations, and tears from everyone. Harry had never felt more loved or happy in his entire life. 

Louis had apparently arranged the whole thing with the restaurant, as the group of them were eventually ushered to a table on the terrace and a waiter brought out several bottles of champagne and another round of dessert for everyone. 

Louis sat next to him and held his hand tightly. He seemed to be glowing with happiness, and Harry could feel it melding and growing with his own, so that he really did feel like he was floating on clouds. 

He looked down in awe at the ring on his hand. He still couldn’t believe it. He was engaged to the love of his life. 

“You like it, love?” Louis ran his fingers through Harry’s hair, tenderly. 

“It’s perfect. You’re perfect,” Harry answered, pressing his lips to Louis’ for a long kiss. 

Twilight progressed into darkness, their table illuminated by the twinkling lights all around them. They were all laughing and drinking together like one giant family. Louis never stopped holding Harry’s hand. 

As Harry looked around at the table full of his loved ones and felt the warmth of Louis’ hand wrapped around his own, he knew that whatever the future held, it would be wonderful. Because he had Louis by his side, and that was all he needed. 

Somehow, he really had found his happy ever after. 


	7. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for this chapter: Mpreg

♡ _5 years later_ ♡

Louis slid open the screen door leading to the deck with his foot, carefully balancing the drinks he had in his hands. 

“Hmm, I have a kale-raspberry smoothie and an apple juice,” Louis announced once he was outside, staring down at the cups in mock confusion. “Sadie, you wanted the kale one, right?” 

“Noo, that’s Daddy’s!” squealed the tiny brunette, pushing aside her coloring book and scrambling to her feet. 

“Mm, I think you _looove_ kale, isn’t that right?” Louis teased, offering her the deep green drink. Sadie giggled and squealed again, running over to where Harry was stretched out on a lounge chair and tugging on his arm urgently. 

“Daddy, tell Papa that’s yours!” she pleaded, grinning. The deep dimples in her cheeks were near replicas of Harry’s.

“Lou, stop teasing your daughter,” Harry said mock-sternly. He placed a hand on the curve of his swollen belly. “Besides, Baby and I are hungry.” 

“You’re always hungry,” Louis laughed fondly, handing over the smoothie and pressing a swift kiss to the top of Harry’s head. Harry preened at the attention. 

Louis squatted down to Sadie’s height (which wasn’t much, considering she was only three and a half), and enveloped her in a tight bear hug. “Sorry, squirt. Here’s your drink. No kale smoothies for you today,” he winked, and Sadie giggled again, accepting the sippy cup. 

Harry sighed long-sufferingly. “I’ll get you two to like kale one of these days, I swear,” he smiled, taking a long sip of the thick drink. It still looked disgusting to Louis, even though he’d made them about a thousand times for Harry at this point. It was his most frequent pregnancy craving and Louis was happy to whip up the green drink for him, even if it looked completely unappetizing to him. 

He sat down on the edge of Harry’s lounger and pressed his palm to Harry’s belly. “And how are you and Baby doing, love?” he asked, running his free hand through Harry’s hair. 

“Just as well as we were the last time you asked,” Harry rolled his eyes but Louis knew he secretly loved the attention. Pregnancy truly did make Harry glow, he was radiant with it. His happiness poured out from him, and Louis could feel the warmth of it deep in his own bones. 

“Good,” Louis leaned over and kissed Harry gently, savoring the familiar taste of his husband’s cherry chapstick. 

Sadie abandoned her sippy cup in favor of coming over and pressing her tiny hands on Harry’s stomach as well. “When can I meet my brother?” she asked, with an endearing, wide eyed look that she absolutely got from Harry. 

“Soon, sweetheart,” Harry rubbed her back and straightened her tiny pink cardigan. “He just needs a little more growing time in my tummy, first.” 

Sadie looked genuinely disappointed at that, an adorable frown forming on her face. Louis, who could sense trouble coming a mile away now, quickly scooped her up and settled her on his hip. 

“Want to help me practice footie?” he asked, bouncing her slightly to make her laugh. “You’re already better than Daddy,” he fake-whispered into her ear. 

“Heyy I heard that,” Harry drawled, and both Louis and Sadie laughed. “I would play but I’m roughly the size of a whale right now,” Harry pouted down at his belly. 

“You’re perfect, sweetheart,” Louis assured him, squatting down so he could kiss his cheek. “You need to rest anyway, love. Your back was hurting earlier,” Louis recalled, making a mental note to see if Harry wanted a bath and a massage later to help ease his sore muscles. 

“You’re such an overprotective alpha,” Harry complained, but there was only fondness behind his voice. 

“And you’re my darling omega,” Louis tucked one of Harry’s long curls behind his ear, admiring a ringlet. He still couldn’t believe how much he loved Harry, sometimes. It knocked the breath out of him. 

“Papa, footie?” Sadie chirped, clearly not as enamored with the moment as the two of them. 

“Footie, right you are!” Louis echoed, and he carried her down to the pitch in the yard, letting her pick which ball they would practice shots with. 

♡♡♡

Later that evening, after Sadie had been bathed, read her bedtime stories, sang to by Harry, and tucked in bed with her favorite stuffed animal Ed the elephant, Louis did draw Harry a warm bubble bath and insisted he relax. 

It didn’t take much convincing on Harry’s part to get Louis to join him in the tub, and Louis slotted in behind his love, feeling as he always did, that they were a perfect fit for each other. 

He cupped some warm, lavender scented bath water and gently let it fall down Harry’s shoulders. Louis kissed the nape of his neck, nosing into the fine tendrils of hair that curled there, and then placed his hands on Harry’s shoulders, starting to work out the knots. Harry groaned. 

“That okay, baby?” Louis checked, his hands stilling for a moment in case the pressure was too much. 

“Yes yes, keep going please,” Harry nodded vigorously and Louis chuckled, pressing another kiss just under Harry’s ear. He resumed the massage, taking his time and enjoying the way that Harry slowly melted into him, body becoming more and more pliant the longer Louis worked. 

“You know what I realized, today?” Louis murmured some time later, not even sure if Harry was still awake. His head was rested on Louis' shoulder and neither of them had said anything for a while, content to be together in easy silence. 

“What?” Harry mumbled, awake but just barely by the sound of it. Louis ran a hand over his hip underneath the still-warm bathwater. 

“Today is 6 years since I moved in, remember? I can hardly believe it,” Louis mused, getting a little lost in the thought of it. “Feels like a lifetime ago.” 

“Mm, ages,” Harry agreed sleepily, running his fingers through the sparse hair on Louis’ chest that he seemed to love. “Was it everything you hoped, then?” 

“No. It’s so, so much more,” Louis breathed, tightening his hold on the beautiful omega in his arms, pregnant with their future child. Harry hummed happily and kissed his collarbone. Louis buried his face in his hair. 

Six years ago Louis would never have predicted he would be married to his soulmate with a beautiful daughter and another baby on the way. He had hoped for it, sure, but the reality was so much better than his dreams. 

After their bath Louis tucked a very sleepy Harry into bed and curled up behind him, slotting their warm bodies together, and wrapping an arm around him to keep him close during the night. 

Finally, he was home. 

  
♡ FIN ♡

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed ♡


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